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THE FAMILY 



t, 



AND 



(^ntst 



(lir THE ClflTSD states). 



BY THE FATHER 



PRINTED BY JOHN P. PRALL, 

NO. 9 SPRUCE-STREET. 



1860. 









;£^ WASHES 



<\\.^ 



\sy 



Entered according to act of Congress in the year 1850, by 

JOHN P. PRALL, 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, for the Southern 
District of New York. 



THE WIFE. 



The blanks are for sketch or music, by who''ve taste 
And time, and read with only moderate haste. 



THE WIFE. 

CANTO J, 

Dark chestnut hair, ay tastefully dressed 

For the occasion or hour, the morn or at eve ; 

The forehead not high, but moulded to the best ; 
Eyes looking dark, but with th^ hazel interweave 

A relief, and the character lightsome attest ; 

The nose with enough of the Grecian to leave 
Not a doubt of the natural o'erfl owing zest, 

Buoyancy, ardor and tenderness, so adorn 

Woman's character, and the just due sway invest ; 
The mouth small or large, yielding to th' inborn 

Impulse demands the kindly fraught smile ; 

Or crumpling in quiet to purge the loth scorn ; 



6 

The chin chastely dimpled and will crimple in style 

If the indignant sensibilities actuate : 

She expects a return without any guile 
For th' favor bestowed on who shares her fate ; 

Is sensible and wise, and for occasion discreet ; 

Foreseeing in her sphere ; and wotting to dictate 
For others, if it pressingiy need, and just meet 

To th' occasion : holds th' e'er one to account 

As self deems to be right ; nor 's quick to entreat 
From it : then energy accrues, to th' full amount 

To have you acquaint with the fine charming wife ; 

For her own and the world a joy flowing fount ; 
And e'er faults to find out b}- acquaintance for life. 

Fast sped the years, and brought four children dear ; 

With th' baby-house, kitten : whistle, ball, and knife ; 
And kitten tells still of th' near past childish year. 

Cherished reminiscences ; ay, keep ye your sway, 

And tender emotions wake their glow and tear. 



7 
Oh ! muse propitious, yield tliou th' harmonious lay 

To celebrate in high and noble song 

The gentle woman ; to tenderly portray 
High gifts and noble qualities belong 

To only her, and she dispensing sends 

Peace and joy and blessedness along 
The stream of life ; and noble impulse lends 

To struggle, baffling the storms of direst Fate, 

Till curbed triumphantly to happiest ends. 
, Woman in her quiet sphere doth dictate 

Laws to adversit}^ and set it bounds ; 

Its stings extracts, and makes compensate 
Manifold its direst stabs and deepest wounds ; 

Her sympathetic voice, as it consoles 

The disappointed, falls in sweetest sounds 
Upon the stricken ; and kindles in their souls 

Courage, virtue a-nd fortitude ; a strength to cope 

With every difficulty : and controls 



8 

To extract from all, the golden elixir of hope ; 

For her the pain, from her fresh impulse springs, 

And fountains of strength, and hid resources ope. 
Blest be the woman ; a happiness she brings [clouds 

Though Fortune lower, and storm, and the dark 

Gather over us despairingly ; she flings 
The gauntlet at them, gathers the flying shrouds, 

Cheers the faint heart, compels the better days. 

Such, woman ; such she is : but not the crowds. 
The woman too, degeneracy betrays ; 

The love of pleasure hath for her as well 

Seductive charms, and conqueringly prays 
To its embrace ; it boasts with braggart swell 

Its capabilities in many ways ; 

Urges incontinently, and doth compel 
Almost ; nay, it accursedly betrays, 

If triumph thus, and only thus, achieved. 

But weakness lay there ; 'tis only virtue, stays ; 



9 

And in the yielding self in part deceived. 

Woman the like then with pity we resign : 

Half only they betrayed, who half believed. 
Woman we sing, hath in the native mine 

And labored to yield an endless train 

Of Virtues, with all the stamp and countersign 
Of th' nature in her, a work of God ; and fain 

Would do his pleasure ; pure in heart, in mind ; 

Cheerful in her demeanor ; graceful, though plain 
In manners and discourse, gracious and kind 

In all neighborly intercourse, devout withal 

In solid piety ; and seeking to find 
The utmost of good, in and around, through all 

Things ; joyous in her mood, and not behind 

In kindly act, or to obey the call 
Of charity divine, the pledge of pure mind 

In her, though 'chance she sometime err. 

We'd take our lot with such, deaf, mute, or blind. 
1* 



10 

Such, woman we sing *, to woman do defcf. 
Look at her then, with tremulous eye^ at age 
When, little mistress, 'gins to look and stir 

Around the house, with tli' air of maiden sage ; 
While th' sentiment is stealing o'er the face 
And dailj^ writing on't its various page. . 

Yet seek not th' year or day such touching grace 
Gives pledge the soul liath found its new abode, 
Th' infantile anarchy retiring, making place, 

As conscience adjusts th' authoritative code J 
And equally, the striving impulses contend 
For mastery, to govern, stimulate, or goad ; [blend, 

And th' victor's prominence thence showing, as they 
Th' incipient leaning somewhat of the soul- 
Didst e'er o'er sleeping girlish beauty bend 

O'ercome with frolic, or the chattering stroll, 
And soul rehearses o'er the girlish play, 
Or talk, in broken utterance and droll - 



11 

Gesture ; no hindrance sleep it have its way^ 

And many a grace o'er every fibre flings ; 

Yet linger not, nor stir, nor longer stay 
Lest swiftly the truant spread his ethereal wings 

And 'way hide him to the touch, or ear, or eye ; 

Ethereal, in their despite away it springs : 
And vain th' wish to stay it i vain, vain to try. 



CANTO II. 

Ah ! trembles th* soul for sense ; its enemy ; and why f 
'Tis, a profligate degeneracy overbears, 
And wallows till its own strings cease to ply J 

The ready pleasure tempts, then nothing cares* 
Passion that turns to license, hath ruthless fang 
And '11 glut it, till senseless and vacuous stares* 

But here we've plunged into the din and clang 
Of later years ; that coming fast indeed, 
And much their grace doth on the early hang* 

But rather linger let us, where the seed 
Is planted. Return we to the Girl we saw. 
Innocent, nor other knows than nature's lead, 

Following 't, nor is acquaint with other law. 
Illustrious the field now opes upon the view \ 
Beauty soliciting, we reverent withheld by awe 



18 

Till from High Heaven we inspiration sue 1 
Beauty each day fills up its rounding lineSj 
Adjusting for th' full effect, and outline true ; 

The soul with pure and glowing radiance shines 
Through classic lineaments and noble air, 
And eloquent with harmony the whole combines, 

Till even th' unconscious ignorant do stare ; 
Taken by th' effect, unwotting of the cause. 
But how, th' expression grow more and more fair 

And mien and air ennoble without pause ! 
Deem not the lay proceeding far as yet 
While still for th' reason asked, she tells, because : 

And faintly the Dignity in which soul set 

Around, with all surpassing effect, portrayed ; 
Ne'er though the later years bring more regret. 

The task to cultivate is hard belayed 
With arduous and tantalizing cares ; 
Still though with pleasurable bursts relaj'-ed : 



14 

Though all the drudgery the soul still dares 
To peep, and wills to hold its converse 
With the World around ; gather of its wares, 

And sift them of th' wise^ equivocal, or worse i 
Mould them perchance into a veritable wit 
Available thence onv/ard in thrift, or the reverse i 

its joj's enhancing 'neath pure skies sun lit, 
Or soothing the hour, alas ! big with despair : 
Alway the demeanor well her nature t' acquit. 

Our life's of duty destined field, and care, 
And so its own longing doth the soul attain, 
Or fail in what of life is th' whole affair : 

True and enduring impulse and strength to gain | 
Solid experience of the Being's drift ; 
A glimpse of th' afterpart they must sustain ; 

And woman prosecute her task with thrift 
Retrieving th' heir loom coming on her side, 
And th' man from that fond condescension lift* 



15 

Hence comes, men do so studiously provide, 
And luxuries stint, and comforts lop ; 
Their vanities relinquish, and pleasure set aside ; 

Or resolute vi^oman opes the little shop 
And stamps a dignity on petty trade ; 
Drudges in all house Vvifery, even to the mop 

That whitens floor is parlor and kitchen made i 
For nestling one precious in that bosom thought. 
Though seeming th' while coarse muslin to invade 

Its holy sanctuary ; but is inwrought 

With gems, glowing with Faith, and love for the girl, 
Whose opening grace to deck the whole is sought 

In all that moping drudgery and whirl ! [part, 

Conscious of 'ts destiny and th' incumbent earthly 
They nurse the bud, full hoping it unfurl 

In beauty to repay th' now toiling heart ; 

This hope lightening the present sacrifice, [start. 
And dreamed o'er at night, cheers the morn's fresh 



16 

A consciousness of this, in durance lies 
Meanwhile in her, submitting as is bound 
By reverent love, and all her bounden ties. 

Then that devotedness v^ith fruit is found. 
Decking their sear autumn and w^inter drear 
Of life, perchance just tottering then o'er th' ground ; 

Sweetly though it enhances with each year, 
Till like perennial orb that slowly grew. 
Spreads green and lusty arms no winter fear. 

Thus mutual cares virtue and life renew ; 
The olden, virtue to the young transmit ; 
And youth's green shoots twine round old age anew. 

But let's the ills of poverty remit, 

Virtue in destitution leave now apart ; 
Readjust the light caparison of wit ; 

For Fortune's gay meridian depart : 

(Yet keeping our sympathy for th' left behind) 
And in the haut-monde circle play upstart, 



17 

Or unassuming part with the refined. 

Dazzling the scene to the long unwonted eye 
And heaves from accustomed poise the musing mind. 

Fancy delights though in spring time tint and dye, 
Varying from the Camelia's glowing white 
By soft degrees the nomenclature defy, 

Beneath a lustre dazzling to the sight ; 
And drops the eye to light on living bust. 
Outvies the copying Artist, or Poet, quite ; 

And moulded originally out of dust. 
But now there's movement, and the wildered sense 
Entranced, the glowing action follow must. 

She speaks, and now is flown the last defence ! 
Oh ! wonderful creation from the hand Divine, 
And lavished on man in pure beneficence. 

That utterance and movement men do refine 
In this most precious gift to them vouchsafed, 
With cultivated charms ; the native mine 



18 

Enhancing ; and guard them to be o'er rudely chafed 
By passing ills we've to encounter all ! — 
Return though behooves v^hence so abruptly viraifed, 

And much th' inquisitive may there recal ! 



CAKTO III. 

Such scene was left, we count, '11 not yet pall ; 

Th' entrance too lianpy oft 'tis deemed, to find ; 

That gay assemblage, ycleped Party or Ball, 
Includes high Dignity, exalted mind ; 

The fortunate by merit, chance or birth ; 

Statesman of our own Democratic kind ; 
Staid Priest, or Bishop erst of portly girth ; 

Perchance some modest merit not descried : 

All bent to unfold or thinly veil their worth, 
In hope th' approving glance may'nt be denied ; 

The glance of beauty on the manly face ! 

But is their critical judgment satisfied ? 
For they too will arrogate the Judge's mace, 

And rightly deem their guardianship and care 

And arduous emulation in the race 



20 

To elevate, protect, and soothe the fair. 

Noble response and strong endeavor claims. 

Hence strife for excellence beyond compare 
On either side, where'er the effort aims ; 

Though noble ay the aim, and nobly pursued. 

Yon gay assemblage now again reclaims 
The visual and mental look, in new light viewed ; 

And gay indeed, yet 'neath the gaiety lie 

Th' unseen, though jutting purposes, still crude 
But fashioning out as on the light steps hie 

In the gay skirmishing quadrille ; oft interrupt 

With th' sportive raillery for the listless eye ; 
And well acknowledged, in return abrupt. 

As blush unwitting evidences the debt ; 

And proves th' ingenuous soul, and not corrupt ; 
Met too, acquitting, with more courteous yet, 

And then the fashioning arrests for a while. 

But there's a meaning oft in trifles set, 



21 

And tokens of future doings e'en the smile. 

But peril lies there, for the endearing charge ; 

And needs to guard her from th' insidious guile 
Of her own heart, and from th' wide world at large. 

But turn we again now, to th' unpractised maid. 

We passed of social life merely the marge, 
Not into intricacies to invade, 

But scanned among life's aspects one of pride. 

And saw where gurging surface shoals betrayed ; 
And learn now, as they near, to turn aside. 

Conscience entrenched in th' inner bosom's shrine, 

Virtue demeaning in Immortal Pride, 
Instinctive impel ; and followed, Graces shine ; 

Or guarding, divert from sucking whelming tide ; 

Of th' Reason or mode, they each the golden mine 
To guide in each case, and shun the fatal slide ; 

Embosomed treasures yield, and speed the force 

From Pole or heart, whence rays on every side ; 



22 

Study somewhat avails to learn due course ; 
But not elected or used, the force seems dead, 
And wo then doom'd bark or soul, with ne'er resource. 

Oh ! oft the canvass or the wing hath spread 
To mark the place, or bid the soul beware : 
Indifference's brooding calm, oh ! dread ; 

Or sullen weighing stupor ; such as th' air 
Th' midnight or noon of Equinox pervades ; 
When Tempests, shrunk erst in their caves, prepare 

Th' Escort for Sun o'er th' Equatorial grades. 
If threading here dark passages we seem, 
Insidious the Enemy in all its shades ! 

Mild action and excitement well beseem 
The character of woman, yet subdued 
Rather to spur, than rise to act supreme ; 

And here Reflection is afresh imbued 

With th' excellent beauty of the marriage tie ; 
Armor for action is on man indued, 



23 , - 

Woman, sweet counsellor, is set close by ; 

Thus action springs, working its bent and way, 
And glory equally doth with them lie ; 

Their unity still perfect ; but one are they. 
Oh ! woman, such the lofty part thou'rt born 
To fill, and thus benignly hold thy sway. 

Thyself a wondrous one, some blithesome morn 
Waking glad echoes 'neath the household dome ; 
A. shoot to nurture, soothe, caress, adorn, 

To bless thenceforth another, thy own home. 
If darkly then the lay did seem to wind 
And dart through th' listless air, and strangely roam 

Through labyrinths, to show no trace behind ; 
It sought, throughout all nature's widest range, 
Some counterpart to stupor of the mind ; 

Th' indifference to circumstance or change : 
A seeming unconsciousness of good possessed ; 
Slight deem'd,or slightly reck'd by thoughts estrange. 



24 

But there's far heavier weighs the heaving breast ; 
, Oft dawning life, so buoyant hopeful mounts, 
And gazes the growing range with boundless zest ; 

Nor aught beyond his scope or grasp accounts. 
And sends his bold glances o'er all space and time, 
Sipping, may be, from wisdom's treasured founts, 

And counts they're fraught with th' excellent and 
sublime ; 
Complacent reviews where rise the stout compeers, 
And deems to pass 'em, will be the light pastime ; 

Nor recks of gloom or cloud e'er interferes : 
Such, seems there sudden Paralysis to seize 
'Fore gets to prime, and blights all after years : 

That buoyant stimulant doth seem to freeze ! 



CANTO IV. 

So suddenly the lay did lute arrest, 

For grief of miserable languishing disease 
Ravaging in high Domain of Muse, like Pest. 

No more the pure, the grand, the noble, please ; 
High purpose, thought and hope listlessly subside 
To stagger on by poor time-serving degrees ; 

Bowed down the lofty mien, th' erst soaring pride : 
The glowing purpose of its youth thence deems 
But hobby each unpractised youth must ride ; 

And riper sober manhood ill beseems, 
As what be never reached or understood ; 
Discarded then with all its class, for dreams ! 

Nought but the Practical seems thenceforth good, 

And wounding it, to go a thought beyond ; 

Th' imagination hath blind put on't, or hood : 
2 



26 
Fancy to trifles is pledged, by wont or bond ; 
And youth then reputable, trust- worthy held. 
Becoming soon of money making fond, 
And ceasing by common-place to be repelled, 
Life dwindles to monotonous routine ; 
The zest and buoyancy of thought dispelled, 
A staid uniformity entaming its mien ; 

Youthful affections deadened all, or chilled, 
Bound down the sensibility by lien, 
Religion, th' holy Principle erst thrilled 

The bosom, now also comes beneath the ban ; 
The pure Faith, erst carefully was instilled 
'S supplanted by every innovating plan 
E'er powerless to fasten any hold : 
Such th' common-place stupor, and th' indifferent 
man; 
A vapory cloud that rises, to enfold 

Youth's vaulting life, ere hath the zenith reached 
Wisdom, that saw Time's scroll as though unrolled 



27 

And how be the man insidiously o'erreached, 

I What wiles and nets entangle would his Path 
Till e'en th' eternal Wisdom and love be impeached, 

(Oh ! sad catastrophe ; and merely shown hath, 
What never to th' Omniscient mind concealed 
And Heaven's love should still o'erreach just wrath, 

The man unpractised not 'gainst Tempter sealed ! 
Thence flowing all Earth's woes in sadd'ning train ;) 
Fashioned the Woman, a second thought revealed, 

To turn the flood of evils back again ; 
She not from clay but statuary wrought ; 
Refining on th' comparatively plain ! 

Oh ! exquisite the tissues of her thought. 

With pure affections for their chastened founts. 
Hanging round him who hath their treasure bt)Ught 

With noble virtue, and mien that Love surmounts. 
That man no meet society for man 
The Heavenly Wisdom certainly accounts, 



28 

And womanless calls lone the mortal span. 

Men play alike their independent parts, 

And emulously strive to get the van ; 
Keen emulation begets wounded hearts ; 

Counsels of Peace are aids to vi^in the race ; 

The Omniscient ken through sphere of Probation 
darts, 
Then moulds the Counsellor to suit the case. 

Oh ! w^oman, thine Heaven th' office decreed, 

And crowned thee with peerless charms and every 
grace, 
To fascinate and conquer, compel to heed, 

The man modelled divinely, walking erect, 

And knowing good and evil, and th' high meed 
Is set before him ; and heavenward direct 

His wending way through all Earth's changing 
scenes. 

Exempt she from fierce strife, a counsel elect 



29 

Indued, as peaceful leisure intervenes 

'Pore the fresh combats, with loving discourse 

To purge the worldly dross ay supervenes, 
And keep him loftily upon his course. 

Methinks the gentle monitor I see ; 

As listing particulars of worldly intercourse ; 
Details in bargaining or repartee ; 

Late news in Politics and of Diplomacy ; 

Attendance at the conspicuous Levee ; 
The Politician's reckless contumacy ; 

Fresh tidings from each quarter of the Globe ; 

Another stretch of Britain's wide supremacy ; 
The faithful soul doth all World's gear disrobe ; 

Nor fails he of matters personal to telL 

She listing, seems affections' depths to probe, 
To bring a freshest offering from their well ; 

Then springs 't alert to swell th' expression's glow ; 

Silence, emotions for a space compel, 



so 

Then utters accents tremulous and low ; 
*' Oh ! thou, ever the faithful husband and friend, 
And mak'st world's varying' aspects all, to know 

The wife, and how the world's affairs do wend ; 
Thanks for this confidence, and love repaid ; 
I've thought of thee ; alway do my thoughts attend 

Thy steps threadin^g the ambushed world, way-laid 
With teasing cares and appetiting wiles 
Seeming so slight they do not make afraid ; 

But stepped in overshoe, composure riles." 
Onward the converse flows, but interspersed 
With intervals of musing thought. In whiles, 

The youthful urchins, in all gambols versed. 
Springing th' elastic muscle from the curb 
Of morning hours where lessons are rehearsed, 

Burst in, and not unpleasingly disturb. 



CANTO V. 

• They came from th' precincts ; the hall, or room, 
Allotted in th' household ; or kind of suburb ; 
To stretch the muscle in ; and scatter gloom 

Or weariness, 'chance grew o'er sum or verb. 
Oh ! how the heart doth bound to its own strain, 
And yearning impulses with zest perturb ! 

Met too with natural aiiection, and plain 

Unfelt dependence. 'T is, the household hearth 
Enlargeth its boundary, and Home's domain ; 

The heart had grown, and colonizes Earth. 
Now flags the ^ay, and evening steals along, 
Threatening of gaiety to bring a dearth 

As crowds of th' outer world do Homewards throng. 
Now fresher fires, enliven th' winter's eve, 
And let 's the day scene by its gleams prolong. 



33 

But first though, of any weariness relieve 

The Earth clogged soul with th' grateful dish of tea ; 

Nor need we for the interruption grieve. 
And see now the youngsters, their roguish glee 

Hushed suddenly 'neath straining lip and lid, 

On truce to frolicking and fun agree ; 
Winking th' expediency to do as bid. 

The graceful form of the mamma at head, 

'Neath silken folds or slender shawl half hid 
To keep off th' leaking cold and fever dread ; 

And this by th' urgency of love constrained. 

And see whose toil hath earned or earns their bread, 
Gazing with fond delight, yet look distrained 

At times, fumbling within the hoard of joy. 

Now in the arms and to the hearts are strained 
The precious ones : nor cares their sleep alloy. 

Sweet children, blessings still your life attend. 

Aiid now the musing thoughts again employ 



33 

The compound soul, or two and always blend ; 

Still more ethereal with the beverage made. 

More and more loftily their flights ascend 
Even where glowing Truth, and wisdom pervade 

In brightness seeming to more worldly eye^ 

Substanceless, or light o'ercome by shade, 
JBut proven, to have of Truth the very dye. 

Truth more than fancies moves the inmost sou). 

And woman's heart doth swifter after fly. 
World's contact rude not her's, but to console 

And give support to him must take its brunt ; 

E'en now she's moved with sweetness to condole^ 
That he should on the morrow forth confront 

All petty cares our action will include ; 

She stands, Heavenly commissioned"; on her Front 
Beams the Prophetic Fire, and look prelude 

She fills the lofty Roll for which create : 

The eye first bent to Heaven, in attitude 
2* 



34 

Deep reverence pervades, yet faith elate 

Clothing her with Dignity, and kindling hope J 
Then mildly gazes the Partner of her fate ; 

And lips vrith the commissioned utterance ope» 
" Heaven's ordinances bear evenly on Man, 
And conscience train with Evil's wiles to copet 

Evil knowing, Temptation just began ; 

All knowledge prompts, then wisdom, virtue, lies 
In the ability to evil scan 

And when it near, resist it, till it flies. 

Alas !" and here the heightening blush suffused 
Th' inspired lineaments ; cast down the eyes, 

And o'er the drooping form a grief diffused 

Tender and self reproaching, " alas," that voice 
Resumes with choking utterance and confused, 

But th' energy regained, " Ill-fated choice 

That, 'tween th' evil and good, and good alone j 
And thenceforth divided empire ; and rqjoice 



35 

The Spirits of Darkness, not o'er Woman alone, 
But the joint fallen estate ; man not endued 
To rescue th' woman, or hold himself the throne ; 

Or sympathy him from steadfastness subdued. 
Good and Evil solely Omniscience knows 
And staying yet only with the Good imbued 5 

This, and fitting Palliative, wisdom shows ; 
Such remedy man's own experience approves ; 
Expose to trial, and the temper grows." 

Transfixed he listens, looks, nor a feature moves. 
But now, relaxed the look that pierced through space, 
Thronging emotions fast, as well behooves, 

Suffuse the wonted sweet and classic face ; 
The form resigns th' enthusiastic glow, 
Nature and graceful ease resuming place. 

And now, the heart's affections must have flow ; 
Wondering she hears the words she spake, with awe ; 
Oft they repeat, nor yet their meaning know 



g6 

At length " Joy of my life," he saith, " the law 
Here recognize of fitful Earth's career ; 
All this from first the Good Creator saw, 

Nor could it with the purpose interfere. 
Infinite love, love covets in return, 
Then Wisdom Infinite contrives the sphere 5 

Peopling it with generations in their turn. 
How sin, how life, High Holiness, intact 
E'er co-exist, nor instant cease to burn 

Life's wick ; hov/ holiness succeed that act ; 
Wisdom foreshows, and Love fulfils the scheme :• 
Then Earth, Mankind, and Good and Evil's contact 

Fast succeed ;" — but sweetest woman here, theme 
Erst, of a thousand, and of this last lay 
Looks silent thankfulness to God Supreme : 

Nor aught that's Earthly sees, to Highest day 
The rolling orbs are turned ; nor arms refrain 
To aid the grateful bursting heart give way, 



B1 

With forward upward move, and gentle strain ^ 
The Palms upturned and fingers slightly nerved | 
One foot inclining out, and seems wrould fain 

Engross th' incumbent task to guard unsw^erved 5 
The bust with swelling outline just contained, 
Showing fit feeling deep within conserved ; 

Th' figure by no enthusiasm overstrained ; 
Softness of parting grief o'er all difiused, 
Like mists, by Sun of Righteousness constrained, 

Nor needs, familiar picture, Life confused 

That since succeeds, more onward now to paint ; 
Soon dying embers too will have refused 

Their shooting gleams, now growing more, more faint. 



MY DAUGHTER. 



MY DAUGHTER. 

CANTO I. 

My daughter dear, my eldest born, to you 
My heart fain leans ; beautiful, and having look 
Of Father ; and Mother's peering through : 

Th' expression mild and sweet, nose with e'en crook* 

To show thou'rt firm and resolute ; jutting forehead 
Just enough, and high enough to show ne'er 's the 
book 
'LI defy thy ability ; good sense inbred 

Upon the native stock, th' whole countenance shows ; 
Tiny mouth composed, and sweetest smiles thence 
sped, 



* This word, behooves you not to misconceive : 
'Tis regular and beautiful, as seeing ye'd believe. 
Here, poverty of language makes rae grieve. 



42 

And play o'er th' face, as th' native sentiment grows 
When e'er of lovely and true is shown or told : 
Thine amiableness in gracious manners flows 

Out to the whole world ; thou'lt not even scold 
For the wicked, nor hast e'er the feeling not kind, 
Forgiving, or benevolent, as th' nature hold 

To be gracious or loving ; and with a mind, 
Or word or deed '11 sift to extremes, and trace 
Or th' act, or utterance, to 't most were blind. 

The years flow on, and comes old age apace 
With its declining steps, the meridian passed ; 
Life, Earth's life, no longer looking 't in th' face 

But 't following me behind, nor long to last ; 
Its train, or heavy, or dull, or light, as 'chance 
Reflection light on green or barren, whereon cast 

By th' circumstance ; or as I sought to advance 
Rapidly or staidly ; heedless, or with forecast ; 
And either moulded by passing circumstance ; 



43 

Of th' issues by favoring gale, untimely blast, 
(Determining on th' exposure was incurred, 
Moderately proceeding, or o'erweening fast,) 

Drifted or faltered to be a little blurred. 
Yet count I it no misfortune on the whole. 
In view of somewhat wisdom 't hath conferred. 

My child, I open here to you my troubled soul 

For you and the rest, though th' timely smiling face 
I wear; and into cheerfulness control 

Myself. I mourn each comfort in due place 
Not showing for you and Mother, and us all ; 
But count it certainly for no disgrace ; 

And in life's retrospect at th' end, may call 
For acknowledgment, as blessing on our lot* 
May your reflections lead you all to fall 

In with this view ; and now-a-days to be forgot, 
But for their lesson, in brighter to succeed. 
Thyself precious and dear to me, you wot ; 



44 

And tolerably thou'rt set in th' wisdoto doth need 
To make th' here life productive of due fruits, 
For now, and for the future ; and I'd lead 

Thee somewhat to scan society as suits. 
To sensibly appreciate and judge and reap 
Its avail of pleasure, as one prosecutes 

All worthy objects ; to enjoy them, and keep 
Thyself whole and pure, untainted with th' alloy 
Pervades it so sadly ; and thou in th' quiet e'er sleep 

Of innocence, nor come e'en th' social pleasures to cloy. 
I'd have a spice of loftiness in thy mind ; 
And elevate conception in thy heart, t' employ 

Th' timely reflection, keeping th' vanities behind ; 
Lead thee to look on th' passing in its true light ; 
And gather th' oyster's jewel, not the rhind 

Of th' orange, in drawing rooms so dazzling bright 
With burning gas in th' chandeliers of glass. 
Thou'lt judge then th' character shows in the dight 



45 

Scenes at party or ball, to please and may harrass 
Too, th' many gay and thoughtless dames frequent 
And so transport in them, nor yet their mass 

E'er ponder on th' life, or fraught impregnate event, 
When all we are called to render th' full account 
And show if diligently we've filled the stent. 

My child, 'twere vain t' exaggerate th' amount, 
Or try for 't, of th' interest or harvest depends 
On th' diligence and faithfulness we put this fount 

Here of th' flowing future to the best of ends, 
And th' final end conduct to th' Heavenly blest. 
To 't diligently, the strain so far commends, 

And doth thee well advancing also attest ; 

And yields then flattering hope thou'lt stay in 't sure ; 
Nor staying in 't stop, till entered, moored in thy rest. 

And so I'd just guide thee somewhat to procure 
Fine insight into th' maze of the graceful arts 
And mysterious charms to fascinate and allure 



46 

To th' high embellishment and courtesy imparts 
The interest to th' social gaiety of the refined : 
Born, of an ethereal pure spirit that starts 

In th' very depths of our nature, taking the mind 
Along with 't perforce, e'en of th' corrupt and rude ; 
(For nature stays in them yet of purest kind, 

Corruption can never into th' nature intrude ; 
'Tis in the character, and long it stays 
Alas ! and stringent fore'er then to 't exclude). 

'Tis this spirit, charmingly and loftily plays 
On the hearts, and imaginations too. 
Of th' truer finer ones ; and playfully portrays 

And starts them on career of exquisite ado. 
It on all the various character defiles. 
Lounges, discutes, stupifies, or plays at loo 

May be, or whist, apart ; showing queer profiles 
As the game may chance : a degenerate resort 
For e'en th' degenerate, in their leisure whiles. 



47 

For this 't deploys the biting and fine retort 
For th' slighting remark, or sly joke, cracks 
E'er one, cajoling him it ne'er wake up the snort 

Of the unwitting Delice, and superfine attacks 
She sends for e'er slight courtesy is paid ; 
So th' foolish counts, when sooner bound to tax 

His sheer resource to th' utmost it be made, 
And th' very best to atone for that still lacks. 
This spirit 'tis, imperfectly portrayed, 

I'd tell of ; that, 'chance, its dominion wax 

Till won th' unconscious infringing ones, or bought 
With 'ts own reward, to stop th' degenerate cracks. 

Adieu, dear one, in th' verse so queerly wrought 
Humbly following early Poet ; honoring, not Nice, 
Ravenna, with th' lofty imaginings he sought 

To engraft on superstition, and fleece 

Its masks, and through't th' holy and virtuous taught 
To lift them 'bove 't, from 'ts riveted chains release : 

'Gainst which ay th' nature to the death hath fought. 



CAIN ro 11. 

DELICE. 

Oh I for a subtilising power of thought 

To pierce into the Realms of Light Caprice ; 
And fancy aid us ; fearing as she ought, 

But not to distraction, for th' volatile Delice, 
That rules for her in the capricious sway 
To guard the ladie world, and keep 't in peace. 

Behooved the Fancy, versed in noble lay, 
And Genius suing her in suppliant strain. 
To set such Tribunal of th' elegant display 

Would justly adjudge confusion to the vain. 
Enemies of th' veritable, just and true ; , 
And keep her heraldry without a stain. 



49 

Who'd enter th' domain of Fancy, needs t' imbue 
Him with virtue and wisdom, and to discipline 
All th' worldly vanities do commonly clew 

T' our booming sails 'fore th' epileptic doctrine ; 
Variously besetting, and beseechingly tease 
All th' thoughtless degenerates, to their chagrin 

And ruth at th' end, they would so foolishly please. 
Kind Heaven foreseeing 't though, did interpose 
In th' nature a curative, voiding these lees 

In th' river of our life ere 't comes to 'ts calm repose : 
A natural spirit, 'at keeping pure,-^vaporates 
'Em ; purges e'm out for it's deadly foes ; 

Searches them, and worries them, and castigates ; 
Brings them to consider a bit ; and substitutes 
If they v/ill, then, th' natural one, 'at dictates 

The scrutiny and judgment, if th' offering suits 

With th' nature, and th' veritable welfare, 

And th' intimate delight ; and 's of th' choicest fruits 
3 



50 

As we scan and pluck in all our world's wayfare. 
This spirit then, Delice, 't is called, for it 's way 
So pure, so high and strict ; and subtle and rare 

To discriminate ; and wotting well, how portray 
The fine and just and true, and foolish and vain, 
In th' social relaxation, action or play : 

And beauty and 't 's wit too ; I'd show 'em : and make 
all plain. 
To know no beauty, save where Taste presides, 
(The subtle art, and all to have 't are fain,) 

Just tokens, 'tis th' purest gentleness decides. 
And there, would I look for rarer quality 
Than nature, or wont, now, to all confides ; 

Some exquisite touch of th' actual pure reality, 
The concentrated pith of common sense, 
Fashioned to view the man's high Ideality : 

And heightening then beauty's charms to intense ; 
^he holds us spell bound with a charming look ! 
And seen the very Truth from th' dark condense. 



51 

Such gentle look reveals what men forsook 
Parting from Innocence, that left behind : 
Though since, might their devious course of bend 
and crook 

Occasionally near same precincts wind ; 
Or imperceptibly same lineage runs ; 
And springs sometime to light in purest kind. 

But much we must not say of her ; she shuns 
The vicinage of puzzled staring gaze 
Of whom, her art their duller senses stuns ; 

Not wont to peer at Truth but through some haze. 
'Twas such dight vision happily sometime fleshed 
In every town or hamlet through Eaith's maze, 

The man's conceit of loveliness refreshed, 

Through Heaven*s appointment or recurring grace ! 
And might all wildering fantasies be meshed 

And fascinated in their very place, 
Till all full fraught with samelike dignity. 
Sense of the becoming, and gentle mien apace. 



52 

Such verily needs, to conquer man's malignity 
Begot by rough and tumble of 's self made lot 5 
Such moulds cold heart to kind benignity, 

Bound up too oft by selfishness in knot, 
Or in th' extremes of fro ward Passion tost, 
And 'ts gentleness shut in by scarry blot : 

For such of th' world's contentions bitter cost, 
As all the struggles o'er, we reckon up 
And days and hopes, by th' early count, find lost. 

It is the fair one's roll to hold a cup 
Of calm reflective happiness to man ; 
And sweets immingling that if once he 've sup, 

Not in a rushing haste, fast as he can. 
But thoughtfully, gently, will so fascinate 
And leaven th' inmost soul throughout life's span ; 

Would push the world on to 'ts better fate ; 
Now lingering sluggish in its trailing course. 
Oh ! woman haste thee to thy high estate 1 



58 

We wait to feel the softly impulsive force ; 

Attractive too ; and thou 'st to gain thy goal, 

Thence beckon after thee thy sweet discourse. 
What may men do, to make thee fill thy roll ? 

More delicate thy sense, quicker thy wit ; 

And lovelier, oft, than 's Earthly, in the boll. 
We can but show thee which the shaft will hit ; 

And what thy function and illustrious part ; 

Then Light Caprice just mould to each one fit. 
Delice hath in her whims a lovely art : 

It is, breeze agitates the bosom's deep. 

And crested wavelings hither thither dart : 
Gushings of feeling at the surface peep ! 

Oft the caprice will send on th' wayward trip ; 

Returning though before 'tis time to sleep : 
Or th' fantasy, at times, will get the slip : 

Oh! wondrous, is the conscious one within. 

And alway Light Caprice the ver}^ tip. 



54 

But what the vulgar call caprice, with din, 

Is oft the brilliant flash to nature true. 

And falling on sense too dull to take it in ; 
Or 'ts deeply waking sense of somewhat due 

To self, or tie of kin, or wakeful love ; 

And action swiftly must the thought pursue : 
Bright scintillations springing from above, 

Kindling th' congenial in her bosom glow. 

And wouldst then smother, drench, or rudely shove 
Such fire ethereal from the world below, 

And stretch of dull monotony the Reign ! 

Oh ! rather Light Caprice stretch double Bow ! — 
Look at her then thou dull one, if thou'lt deign. 



CANTO III. 

Look at her now thou dull one, that wouldst feign 
In Fancy's gay Delice to find no charms, 
When 'chance she doth e'en thee to notice deign ; 

Waking thy sloth's soul up with vive alarms. 
She sits, with graceful carriage, in the chair ; 
Nor brooks her buoyant spirit th' lounging arms : 

Her spring-full form, like incense through the air, 
Obeys the native impulse to distend 
Gracefully upward, as bids the nature fair ; 

Action and repose there naturally blend ; 
In lap reposing watches either hand 
(Nestling the fingers and palms as they inbend,) 

For rarer impulse, gesture may demand 
To give to utterance the silent aid 
Of nervous Dignitv, or action bland. 



56 

Tis not forbid one foot in th' other be laid, 
But not when she would rivet, or command, 
Then hug each sole the floor, as not afraid ; 

Either inclining out, not as to stand 

But showing her impartial, lest some doubt 
She would on them make special reprimand : 

Ne'er bitterness looks from th' expression out ; 
Thereof is sure, forbidding to come in. 
The eyes dispense regards all round about ; 

But oftener deject they look within : 
Affection's musings in swift action are ; 
Nay, might in solitude make musing din : 

But now respectful kept to roam too far. 
Besides now must she turn them to account, 
Swayed by of lofty impulses the jar. 

Oh ! delicate machinery, and fount 

Perennial whence fancies spring and strike 
On soul's attentive sense, and winged mount 



To-day, through eye, or tintj or lip^ alike ) 

Nay, may command the fleshy and skin, and nerve 

With or against their own consent belike : 
How can she then^ how might Delice e'er swerve^ 

Leave to react, throw th' harp strings out of tune 5 

How but obey, and th' harmony conserve ! 

Whene'er the soul through music's strain commune 
Will it not feel each jar from note or strain 
And soon with all deliciously attune ? 

And would it still of Light Caprice complain 
Because athwart its stagnant sense and dull, 
Fresh from world's striving poor, faltering and vain, 

In sluggishness she may not leave or lull ! 
Oh ! Light Caprice betrays a lively wit 
That sends its flashes through the thickest skulL 

And who impervious were, and lip now bit 

Listing unconscious sentence of his ways 

Let quick confess ; or quietly submit, 
3* 



58 , 

And speedily begin the better daj's. 

Thou, waked up dullness though, let now attest 

Triumphs of Light Caprice, thy darkling rays ! 
What gives to life ever reviving zest ? 

The cry, for novelty ; and echo rings ; 

Now this Delice just carries on her crest s 
New stimulus unceasingly she flings ; 

Her skiff she launches forth on every tide | 

'Tis even charged, variety she brings ! 
So will the world first court and then deride. 

How tame would be our life, how dull all tradcj 

If Light Caprice once rudely put aside. 
And curious novelties no longer bade 

Start on their brief career to please her whim ; 

Dooming through stagnant dullness men to wade^ 
Sweet fantasy, how will the vision dim 

With fancying thee exile, flitting on 

And on, and on, till on the very rim 



59 

Of vision, airy wings thou seem'st to don, 

And balancest a moment — now art flown. 

Adieu Light Gaiety, adieu to ton ; 
Now be the hearth, the porch, with cypress strown, 

But no, Delice, not now, not thus we part ; 

Come back, I conjure thee, with charms thy own, 
And guage the fealty of the wayward heart. 

Where are we then, and whither have been blown ? 

Oh ! let us backward turn, and take fresh start. 
The Light Caprice that sports in bosom fair, 

Thence on vivacious wing to-day is sped, 

Oxygenates the soporific air ; 
And is of dullness, staidness, th' heightening yest. 

Its sprightly flashing mien and debonnair 

Annihilates nonentity, and zest 
Rushes to fill the vacuum was left. 

Mental absorption, takes at length some rest ; 

Sweeps Light Caprice away its wrapping weft. 



60 

But where, the Faiiy, where holds she her Throne, 

And motioning, dullness, languor, swift bereft. 

We did impersonate, but without zone. 
See it then, in sparkling wit, polished mien, 

Chivalrous homage, modulated tone ; 

Rudeness abashed, held in th' respectful lien ; 
Intimated, strength with single glance, 

Genius and Dignity alike demean ; 

All seek their several virtue to enhance ; 
They count for highest happiness her smile, 

And onwards, hopeful to attain, advance. 

Such are the deeper shades ; do thus beguile, 
And gild with light reflecting mental folds. 

Now the light columns for skirmishing defile. 

And see each tint the magic prism in-holds, 
In softened varied brilliancy outvied ! 

The Fancy ushered these to life, and moulds 

To yield effect by laws not yet descried 



61 

In range of science, or not in the books t, 
Fact though in evidence, and not denied. 
Now see her Reign acknowledged in our looks; 

See face relaxed of Gravity demure, 

See slowly aspect stern unbend, ne'er brooks 
In its own haunts behest of Power, or lure 

Oi^ Passion or pleasure to relax its mood. 
Here respite Melancholy finds, or cure 
For brief interval, stopping on to brood : 

Dullness itself is pricked into some life ; 
E'en apathy with relish takes some food, 
Musing momentally about a wife ; 

Hid his heaviness 'neath stranger hardihood* 



CANTO IV. 

Thus heaviness illumined on the face 
_ With beams do irresistibly beseech : - 

But now with wand, the Fairy ushers grace 
To life, in gentle movement, gesture, speech, 

As on they glide, and coaverse hold apace* 

What Power such life incongruous can reach, 
Conjure at beck, and rule such dazzling scene | 

Instil due part and victory for each ; 

Mould discords for an hour to homogene, 
Then let them loose again before they weld j 

Who but the Light Caprice, our Fairie Queene 

The gay Delice ; effluence of Fancy held : 
Action, Society, put in her charge, 

By her the Beau Monde led, by her upheld. 

Pure Fancy doth her boundary enlarge 



63 

And travel far beyond this busy sphere ; 
She wafts her votaries to very marge 
Of th' Finite ; whence, cease fancies to adhere 1 

Yet, in the indistinctness of that field, 
Fancy discerns the lofty, grand, severe ; 
And such men's actions naturally yield. 

Each act of man's, there superstructure rears ; 

Nor Death that speeds us there, from conscience 

shield. 
Future or Infinite alike, our fears 

Dimly descry, and vaguely apprehend ; 
Commoved the sentient soul even to tears t 
We seem to need somehow our strength to mend 

Ere we can pass to tempt that boundless range. 
Thus borrow Fancy will, to after lend 
In musings far from worldly things estrange, 

Impulse, the apprehensive sense to send 
In quest of motive where no jars derange 
Its steadiness of view, no objects wend 



64 

Between, to interrupt the mental ray. 

Hence comes it, may pure Fancy not attend 
Herself to acts and scenes in th' Earthly Play ; 

Nor yet abandons men to dull despair, 
But delegates the gay Delice to sway 
In field of action ; with Ministers, the Fair ; 

Or such, Delice may eminent discern 
And gift, or educate in Beauty's lair* 
There will she school impartially the stern 

Froward or gentle girl, high born, or low ; 
And makes their culture a personal concern ; 
'Fuses in them of modesty the glow ; 

Instils an instinct sensitive, and wit 

In divers shades, to ward the vital blow 
Society prepares ; and Passion bit 

If e'er o'er rudely seeking to approach : 
Thence, self-conserved, to radiance emit 
Unsullied, stainless, e'en from self-reproach ; 



65 

If this may be ; the mirror shield of taste 

To hold up for defence ; none can encroach 

She teiis, if this unspotted kept. Who baste 
Appearances, nor Principle upholds, 

No fragrance keep, their sweetness runs to waste. 

Thus, lessons for their governance unfolds 
Delice ; but chief conservative still lies, 

And secret of the sway each Pupil holds 

As on inseparate career she hies, 
In touches exquisite of nature her own . 

Delice inbreathes, their nature with them plies. 

These must, nor in excess, nor faint be shown ; 
Conservative they are, and when dispensed 

'Tis to refine, enliven, till full grown 

Man's better impulse ; but with frost condensed, 
Or by electric flash the vicious spent. 

Th' instructive flashing of sweet girl incensed 

Momentally by word or slight event 



66 

Her delicate appreciation deems 
With true respect and courtesy not blent, 
E*en unintentional ; such well beseems 

The Pupil of Delice ; and fills her stent : , 
Such are her own invigorating gleams ; 
When forth from th' nature, pure, instinctive sent. 

Thus see the lighter shades that paint the zone 
Our Fairie doth encircle ; wonderment 
And puzzle of who see effects alone. 

I say then, what Caprice so many term 
Uncourteous, in their selfish shell, and lone, 
Or if perchance they do arouse the germ 

Implant for self-defence, or man's reproof. 
And 't doth with dignity and aspect firm 
Virtue irradiate in own behoof; 

Nay, with its steady brilliancy deter 
And finally compel to keep aloof. 
Save they with milder courtesy defer ; 



67 

Is living impulse in fair bosom set 

A polish on man's roughness to confer. 

Weakness her outer frame, how woman get 
To wield her softening influence o*er the man 

Savage and barbarous, Sin did beget ! 

Spirit, did matter create, and span 
Its fluctuating periods ; spirit insert 

Within her bosom, the victory began; 

Spirit, 'neath man's unwieldy clay inert, 
Reaching his heaviness even to oppress 

For long the more fragile Being, still alert 

In woman ; th' impetus to soothe distress, 
To lull the storm of Passion in the Breast, 

Mildness at length on th' savage mood impress. 

Gentle and delicate it is ; and blest 
Receiving it, and afterward still more 

Whene'er for any cause by her carest. 

Oh ! this perchance admitted were before, 



68 
'Tis the offender, th* erring one rebels ; 

And slanders first for Pride, then conscience sore. 

What most is charming in Woman, and compels 
Th' homage unanimous of th' manly sex, 

Or lothful, Truth irresistibly impels ; 

And grateful, th' elastic muse then speeds reflex ; 
And th' jocund nature bids send on the note ; 

Is effluence of, or a touch, or index. 

Singly of the Rays do confluent devote 
All they for sprightliness or grace avail, 

To swell of sweet Delice the Queenly dote. 

Oh ! she is wondrous ; Poesy must fail, 
Blending Perfections in Delice to paint ; 

Weakness, harmony of sounds bewail : 

Scarce light compounding, give idea faint 
How th' soft, ruddy and pungent rays combine 

To yield a pure light, itself without a taint. 

Who then not see, nor reflect this ray divine, 



69 
And 't must, such they are, its pureness decompose 

In th' void air and space, must certainly shine 

In ruddy gleams of th' fain becomingness foes. 
Such is the Light Caprice in th' bosom fair. 
Irradiating thence in calm repose, 

Not on the dull ones, but the debonnair ; 
Course humors were meant, that do oft exhale 

And cloud and darken round life's mounting stair ; 

To make that light, e'en flicker in whiles, and pale : 
Or seeming so, not alway purely glow. 

To our conceptions th' whole, and they, grow stale. 

Men oft misapprehend, and think they know ; 
All that we daily see, we little heed. 

And 'ts so, with feeling from Delice's bow. 

Delice herself, the beauteous, and decreed 
The Fairie Queene ; and all our action doth sway ; 

What 's known of her ? what know we, kn®wn 
indeed ! 

Freely, the muse hath lent her wing to clay, 



70 

But feebly the clay hath borrowed of her speed : 
Brightly, the muse hath shed the glowing ray, 
But darkly the clay hath sped the dolting reed 

And dimly shadowed forth Delice to-day. 



MY BOYS. 



MY BOYS. 
CANTO I. 

My boys ; dividing th' family, and larger share 

Of th' sport, and tumbling o'er head and heels ; 

Of th' middle ages, 'tween the sisters fair ; 
Are noble fellows : as th' boasting mother feels 

When slily th' youngsters with their father measure, 

And 'tween them and mother complacent steals 
Th' look o'er my shoulder to tell their common pleasure; 

They're o'ergrown fellows rather, that's a fact ; 

And 't comes by th' other line : a dormant treasure, 
Or tendence, in th' grandfather did not act, 

And shot in th' young ones more vigorously for that ; 

Till needs th' sheer vanity to counteract, 
4 



74 

^he boys are good though ; neither of them 's a flat : 

They're orderly, industrious, and putting them to 
learn 

The way of business ; how to do 't with ne'er the spat, 
Or bickering, or miss ; just t' gradually earn 

From year to year, that moderately suffice 

For th' passing now ; and when t' old men they turn. 
They've look, the youngest, 't were the Father twice ; 

Th' other as of th' Great George Washington born ; 

And neither 's envious ; suited to a T precise : 
Ardent respectively, and one would adorn 

A cabinet where talk is of what's to be done ; 

And th' other then execute till th'. hope forlorn : 
Th' expressions grave ; or lively, and full of fun 

On face of most unconscionably big head ; 

With eyes and mouth and glowing cheeks, to shun 
The looking, hopeless for th' girl best drilled and bred : 

But th' other 's grave and thoughtful, and o'erstaid 

For his years ; not studious, but to business wed ; 



■75 

Pondering of th' done, nor of th' to be done afraid. 

My boys, there 's serious work 'fore you ahead ; 

And ay there 's consequence of th' egg is laid, 
And ye'U have to take 't, not other in your stead. 

Bear well this lesson in mind ; 'tis certain, sure ; 

And th' fact too ; or oft ye'll live in dread. 
Proceed deliberately, then hope to endure. 

Our life 's strown full with opportunities, 

And we, well looking for ourselves, secure 
Our portion ; of right, and not by importunities : 

Right that lie in us, or need we do create 

Of us ; some part we'll rightly fill in th' communities, 
Of men ; and make 't our parcel, and rightful estate 

'T exert our Being is t' exalt it, and enhance 

Th' resources for happiness ; and doth abate 
Our dangers. And 'tis th' very way to advance 

In th' capacity to enjoy, and all its means ; 

A want needs supplying, is circumstance 



76 

To welcome ; 't is just a future pleasure, gleans 
E'er wise one, 'fore its time, and hath at command : 
And pays a pleasurable interest till survenes 

The just occasion ; and then ye have it in hand. 
Th' just hope and expectancy are a kind of Safe 
For cherished valuables, to forthcome on demand ; 

And then most valuable ; and ours by right ; not waif 
We passingly snatch, and suits no actual need ; 
Or though conjectured, th' caring for it chafe ; 

And then, best known for the precious indeed, 
'S well worthy of acquisition, and timely t' enjoy. 
Ay, consider well ; and follow less than lead : 

Prudence of old the Ancients did employ 

To show their sense of wisdom : and I commend 
It to you, for 't will spare you much alloy 

So mingles in men's lot, as on they wend 
Greedily snatching at every seeming prize. 
To snatch, nine times in ten brings no good end. 



77 
You can't have known that takes you by surprise, 
And evil abounding, all chances are adverse ; 
And then to grasp, is other far than wise. 
Prudence and moderation '11 guard you from reverse 
In general, and thrift certainly then is yours. 
Than th' unstayed mind, I count there 's nothing 
worse : 
Be ay your same selves, and wise ; then good assures. 
My boys, this Being that we are, and 's commonly 

enough 
Seen to look cheap article ; such one procures 
At will, and of e'er quality, sleek, pliable, tough ; 
And 's put to any purpose ; or borrows, or buys 
In bye streets, of th' finished article, or common 
rough 
Staple : or worse, seizes him 'neath his native skies, 
In th' dark, stealthily, in th' Africa lone 
Degenerate, and makes of th' fellow merchandise : 



78 

This Being *s yet so wonderful weVe to own 
In this late day e'en of our long pilgrimage, 
WeVe but beginning of his wonders known ; 

And scarcely Ve come yet to th' Ideal will image 
Show to entirely reach into the deep 
In ourselves ; in th' inner man, and thence thrill image 

Of 'selves in us astonishing to make us weep 
For th' gentle clear loveliness did wear ; 
To make remorseful stings all o'er us creep. 

Dear Boys, there's such a heap of th' common ware, 
Of th' hardware, brass, and earthen, and glossy tin, 
And mock silver, and gilded gold, and all th' fair 

Looking ; 'tis nigh impossible to tell th' within 
Of any : and so man to be taken such he shows 
Without, all through him ; called original sin. 

Men make us to be by nature just what grows 
On th' surface of our life, and common ways 
We affect just as th' wind of our degeneracy blows. 



79 

'Tis not God's man ye see, man so portrays 

In common now-a-days, or th' Preacher tells 

Of commonly, and insomuch betrays 
His Lord and Master ; not following th' instinct wells 

In every man, and well the brightest ought in him. 

*Tis only th' common merchandize such sells 
In th' Temple ; and all the works, to please the whim 

Or idle caprice, or cover up some scratch ; 

Or hoping to heal the running sore, or trim 
The tree of his life, and make 't somehow to match 

With th' requisitions should keep him out o' th' Hell 

He fears 's coming after ; and th' pain and itch, may 
Of sore damnation, and everlastingly dwell [catch 

In torments of th'" itch, and company of snakes 

And toads, of ghastly look and odious smell : 
For such things do picture just what overtakes 

Men in th' moral world ; some counterparts much 
same 
With them ; images of th' misery that never slakes 



80 
Oc thirst, or hunger ; fed erst richly ; but th' flame 
Of remorse there kindles to violent blaze 
And scorching torment ; and th' miserable shame 
For th' squandered Past, the conscious spirit weighs 
Into th' depths of despair, and e'en its vilest lees. 
My boys, we make for us here th' continuing ways 
Hereafter, and none but th' pure will please 
Enduringly ; Wisdom and Prudence I said 
Were th' same, and Purity add from the disease 
Of Evil in every form ; its very guise ay dread 
Inspire in you, and e'en its thought make shrink 
And tremble. Ye'll see and meet it largely spread, 
And oft invitingly ; tempting you to take and drink 
Of 'ts flowing cup, but holding death in 'ts dregs. 
And fraught with 't throughout; but then do ye 
think, 
I charge you now, and fast am getting to th' last pegs 
In my course, think well 'fore ye take a single drop ; 
And follow th' world then swallowing 't by kegs. 



81 

To once begin, ye'll ne'er know how to stop ; 
And end your days in th' bitterness of despair. 
I charge you, daily build securer prop 

'Gainst th' proneness to indulge ; to choose the rare, 
The pure, the prudent, wise ; and keep you clean 
And white ; and th' whole image of your life ay fair 

And spotless. Be true ; what done and said ay mean 

Your meaning ; and th' doing, showing of the heart 

Is in you ; that wrong, e'en th' world '11 lead you to 

ween ; 
Blind to 'ts own wrong, but quick enough to dart 

Upon th' rent in other's garment, and to find fault : 

But 'ts not to mind, except 'tis to depart 
From folly, or error, or vice, ye've come to halt 

In, till it wounds same like, or different, of same sort. 

In fine, ye must become of th' very salt 
Of the Earth, nor be content a whit o' it short. 

My boys, I talk with you in plainest terms 

O' the commonest usage : 'tis th' only resort 

4* 



82 

To tell the Truth. There's speech and language affirms 
G rand lofty things and high up in the air, 
With many flowers of rhetoric ; and worms 

Us up to th' pitch of vanity and seeming fair ; 
Tells well, and sounds well on the flattered ear ; 
But bears not the wisdom is beyond compare 

More precious, and whose paths are straight and clear 
For us to go in, with solid content and peace 
Awaiting us at th' end ; rough though appear 

To th' unshodden and dainty of the grease 

And sweat on th' arduous and laborious course 
Of toil and strain do Righteousness increase ; 

And build the strength to take hold o' Heaven by force ; 
And enter it sure by 'ts strait and narrow gate. 
To this rd fain counsel you with plainest discourse, 

And telling you the truth of th' issues do await 
Us, bad ; or good, as worked out day by day 
With finest tissues, and strong weft, and straight ; 



83 

Dealing with all mankind in th' plainest way. 
Oh ! Heaven grant ye enter at last its Paradise 
And all o' us meet there joyfully. Oh ! I pray 

You strive, strive then, and be of them Born twice. 

ADDENDUM. 

The youngest, a noble youth, and has monstrous brain 
As IVe told, and lying much back, is so confident 
In 's self (and unaware on 't^ and is not vain,) 

I fear he'll verify all 's incident 

To good natured recklessness, 'fore he earns 

Th' wisdom and prudence 'at makes one diffident ; 

But '11 have the chance and occasion till he learns. 



CANTO II. 

My boys, my own brave boys, still list to th' voice 
Of counsel, a Father's warning, and dearly taught 
Him by sore experience ; that there's a choice 

In opportunities for doing or winning aught 
Doth attract us, or seem to wear of good 
The aspect ; and th' art to choose, is bought 

With habitual care to first make understood. 

Th' issues of partaking are various ; or sweet 
^Or bitter, with trains respective ; and 't would 

Better guide and end, with all reflection meet, 
T' imbue you in foreknowledge of the fruit 
Doth offer, and consequence wherewith replete 

Each act or movement ; so much e'en the brute 
Will do in his strait sphere ; but man will stretch 
Abroad ; the Moral Being acts, that hath acute 



85 
And stretching issues, oft ending with the wretch 

Hath nor the good, nor hope it be possest ; 

Nay ignorant what, or whence it e'er he fetch. 
Oh ! children dear, go not with all the rest ; 

Because they do, do not, till weighing well 

The issue, and if righteousness the crest ; 
And the foundation too ; and alway to tell 

Its bearings on the issue doth all o' us await : 

There is a Heaven before us ; and for some a Hellj 
Of their own making ; th' inevitable fate 

Of who do from wisdom's sure ways depart. 

To keep us in them, assures the Heavenly estate : 
Pure are they, joyous for th' innocentj and of heart 

Guileless, and erring, 'ts for ignorance alone ; 

Or, thence acting of th' humble Penitent true part. 
These observations grave or dull, I own ; 

And tiring you, lay them for the time aside ; 

Resuming 'em as a need you feel is grown. 



66 

But what resume for substitute, not wide 

From rational and sensible pursuit ; 

Such befits th* youth of good sense and somewhat 

Pride. 
Pleasures of sense beyond due point dilute 

Th' solid capacity for worth or any work : 

Repugn, for all doth not precisely suit 

To th' mood they engender ; and apt are to lurk 
Like vermin in the hiding places, the holes 
They retreat to in emergencies, to shirk 

Observation ; and th* unwitting one cajoles 
Him then to make appearances the game ; 
A villainous mask, and turns to endless doles. 

Let th' inner man at surface show ; then fame 
To the deserving ; that all who honest seek, 
Or it finds them out ; with, or without name. 

The honest fame or name lives, not a week, 
Or year, but in remembrance far adown 
The stream ; in th' olden chronicle men speak, 



87 

And oft in th' hamlet rehearse, or village or town 
Where memory and mind not daily swept by news 
Brings th* lightning, and published, then the frown, 

Or smile, or wonder ; or perchance may amuse : 
The moment occupies, and variously affects ; 
But scattering reminiscences ; and refuse 

Piles up in the mind, worthless for who reflects. 
And fain would keep in the just exercise 
Of his whole being ; and with despite rejects 

Mere passing excitement and circumstantially wise : 
Composure and steadiness of mind maintained, 
Yield wisdom infallibly : and wisdom is prize 

More precious than in riches e'er contained. 
Oh ! ne'er solicit temporary gains 
Till craving for the lofty, noble, waned 

Hath in our bosoms, and virtue remains 
But a name, a shadow, ready to fly 
Before the least of th' adversary's strains ; 



88 

The Tempter ; that with them doth each bosom ply. 
As worm into the fairest flower will creep, 
So he will into purest bosom pry ; 

And if there weakness finding, doth not sleep 
Nor rest, nor pause, till he have set the lure 
T' ensnare th' unwotting one ; and sink him deep 

In own Rebellion ; ne'er art omits to make him sure. 
That Tempter is th' enemy that haunts our way, 
Besets our steps ; ay offering to procure 

The satisfaction for each longing may 

Wake in us ; feeds every hope, and vauntingly boasts 
Doth all command ; takes us where we survey 

Earth's kingdoms all, and seas and coasts ; 
Proffering them all, if we'll consent to take ; 
And th' ignorant unconscious snares by hosts. 

Be wary then, consider well when wake 
Desire of aught, Pleasure or Riches, or 
Power ; remember your life, your all, at stake 



89 

Is. Happiness lies in ay keeping the just tenor 
Of our way, as nature in innocence doth guide. 
With watchfulness by us against the error 

And evil, in indulgences they ever do slide 
Into ; or th' indulgence into them. My Sons, 
I charge you, on this point the world divide : 

Here does the road strike off that broadly runs 
To ruin : inviting, temptingly pleasant to travel 
Seeming, but fraught with direst ruin : who shuns 

This, comparatively is safe. Th' other is of gravel 
And hills, forest and mountain cliff", morass 
And thicket, dark windings and snarls to unravel. 

And enemies to encounter, that strive to harrass 
And plunder ; or cunning Satyrs would detain 
With plausible lures ; or elves refuse you pass 

Till you subdue them, and many they've slain 
In dure encounters ; struggling, yet subdued 
At last, of wounded, or conquered, and remain 



90 

In homage and slavery that then accrued ; 
Yet this your road to go, and conquer too. 
Dear Sons, I would ye should be full imbued, 
That dangers beset, and many snares will woo 
You to ruin ; and brace you to the course will end 
In triumph. In life we all have much to do, 
And doing is of happiness companion and friend. 
Count ay to do, first movement is and step 
On your life's journey ; and pleasantly may attend 
Your onward course ; and wards off a leading jeop- 
Ardy is ay waiting, and watches for the young. 
And lothfully leaves, till in the very trep- 
idation of wasting breath and stiffening tongue : 
Yea, till th' end, th' very hour of death waits on 

us all. 
Ay, th' vacant hour and listless soul, nor strung 

With high Purpose, and feels no lofty call 

On th' noble energies that in it lie. 

Foolishly is waiting to become the thrall. 



91 

Of any vagrant impulse, insinuation sly 

Of th' Tempter, who hath minions watching every- 
where ; 

And well appointed to conquer, or hardly try ; 
The vacant house, wide open and swept bare 

For th' vagabond spirit t' enter in and possess. 

Oh ! such vacuity, I do conjure, beware ! 
Apply ye ay to invite the noble, true, fair, 

And garnish the soul with them ; stout sentinels to 
keep 

The citadel of your strength with faithfulest care ; 
Then, ay prepared for th' last incumbent leap. 



CANTO III. 

I traced out just, dear boys, the general course 
Of all our lives we wending now below, 
In current, correct and general discourse. 

But such sort generalities ay slow 
For apprehension, dull in taking hold, 
It needs with th' instruction, illustration go 

Along ; that with th' example make the old 
And proven, yea, method High Wisdom's own ; 
As in the Scriptures illustrated and told ; 

Told first, and many particulars then shown 
In life, in doing them ; that is the task. 
Nor is 't unpleasant, we've to do ; and then is known. 

Problems at school have to be done, and ask 
We may for help as we begin to learn ; 
And then applying, we soon strip the mask 



93 

From e*en th* most difficult ; then feel the fire and bum, 
And laudable pride, and beginning glow 
Of higher ambition ; and deem where'er we turn 

Our effort, success we'll sure compel to follow ; 
That is right. But there's an element to combine 
Therein : we must be right, too ; then the morrow 

Will not disappoint, or scarce one time in nine : 
Or seven I would say, that is a number Saint ; 
As each seventh day, the Sabbath, is divine ; 

The first in the week, since th' early morn and faint 
First dawn, tidings of joy illustrious for us 
And cheering th' hope for man forever paint 

On the dark shade of th' future. Men discuss, 
High from the first when innocence forsaken. 
Touching the future ; ignorant of, or make a muss. 

About the word of promise never to .be shaken ; 
And illustrated, done, showing from the dark 
The drear loathsome sleep of the grave we awaken, 



94 

Spring to our life again and soar like the lark 
High upward we, even to the Paradise 
Of th' Immortal ; and as we near, we hark 
Triumphant welcome to th' earthly born twice ; 
Regenerate from th' evil alloys in their lot. 
Such tells the Sabbath, hope beyond all price. 
Dear boys, there's somewhat not to be forgot 
In all your wendings, and I would remind 
Of it ; growing old I am ; nor day I wot 
When I must go, and ye be left behind. 
It is of nature, I the transit must 
Make 'fore yourselves ; pale, lifeless, in the wind- 
ing sheet ye'll see me, to crumble soon to dust 
This outer frame ; weeping with many tears 
My children dear : but with a humble trust 
I'll bow to that unfailing lot : no fears 
Will haunt the dying couch ; for I prepare 
The strength that stays up, hope that interferes, 



95 

From day-to-day. I wot, for why this wayfare 
Is appointed us on Earth ; and that we learn 
To live I To live aright, demands a care 

From us, whatever we do, where'er we turn, 
The care to do it right, justly, and truly ; 
For alway doth its consequence return 

Upon us : 'tis a fruit we pluck, and duly 
Plucking, we enjoy ; nor brings it then remorse : 
But reckless, and headstrong, wilful and unruly, 

Impatient, fretting, plunging like wild horse, 
Or colt unbridled yet, and hoots e'er rein ; 
Or in your affairs to recklessly endorse 

And speculate ; ye'U find, what very plain 
To older heads and wiser men, ye're tools, 
And unavailing then regret remain. 

Our life and all its scenes are early schools. 
Appointed for us that we may acquire 
Some wisdom, from ignorants and fools 



96 

That all of us are, when first we do respire 
This breath of our being ; ignorant, I say, 
For we begin to live and have to acquire 
. Our knowledge ; and foolish, for we may 
Fall into follies in taking of the fruit 
Provided for our sustenance or play ; 

Fruit to live by, and such we in astute 

Must learn to be, in world of moral things ; 
And we take such, and just so much, will suit 

With welfare ; and then happiness brings. 
Do you then see it so ? or would, I point 
Particularly all the fruits and stings, 

To you with accurate wisdom thus anoint. 
And sheathe you so with armor to defend 
From attack ? so keep you whole in wind and joint ; 

What, tell you for each act, as on you wend ; 
What fruit in the whole garden of the world, 
And measure of it, take, to not offend ! 



97 

T* were th' history of your life in whole unfurled 
Before you had resolved an act, or wish 
Had sprung ; or conquering temptation had hurled 

Its darts at you. 'Tis bait attracts the fish. 
And growing wary, if 'chance just escaping 
Once or twice, or many times, the childish 

Days are past, then looks how th' bait is shaping : 
And so with men, may 't be too, as they proceed 
In life ; considering their way, not aping 

The foolish ones ; slow biting, and to grasp and bleed. 
If we consider daily the event. 
And circumstance, and accident and deed 

That happened or was done as on we went. 

We may then on their wisdom severally pronounce ; 
And set us, in future cullings, wiser stent : 

Most things, in limits, I do not denounce ; 

There's a world of good things broadly set around. 

And our Maker at beginning did announce 
5 



98 

We might of all o' them take were to be found 
Except of a particular kind. This kind 
He positively forbade ; for it would wound 

Us unto death ; and spake for all mankind ; 
And pointed to it as standing full amid 
All th' other trees with fruit ; as well behind, 

Before, on every side. Our Parents, yet, did 
Partake, quite contrary to the command ; 
But all in confusion and conscience stricken, hid 

Them from his Presence ; did not dare to stand 
Before him : that fruit then, is Evil called. 
This Paradise of life in which we land, 

Or th' opportunity in which we installed. 
To be, and act the Moral Being's Part, 
When from the womb we disenthralled 

And mortal life mysteriously takes start ; 
From th' nature of th' Being self, is exposed 
To one particular danger ; that is, to depart 



99 

From Truth, th' true way ; and into way opposed 
To it ; and is in whole and general styled. 
Just as we've called it, th' evil ; that men, disposed 

T' enjoy, and naturally and properly, beguiled 
To are, insensibly at first, in taking 
Of fruit that offering, and seeming reconciled 

With th' actual desire or want ; and for its slaking ; 
Or in th' incumbent need of some employment 
Th' else wearisome monotony and tedium breaking. 

With profitable action and pleasing employment. 



CANTO IV. 

'Tis certain, my dear boys, life were no boon 
With not somewhat to yield us a beatitude, 
Beguile the hours, the morn, the night, and noon 

Between, with interest and even solicitude 
Fraught, th' emotions t' awake and duly engage 
Our high susceptibilities, polish the rude 

Corporeal tendencies in us here ; having to wage 
A warfare with them, lest they unchecked assume 
Undue predominance and aspire to guage 

Th' whole quality of our life, and to consume 
Our time and thoughts, and take predominance 
In th' whole conduct of our way. And I resume 

Then the train of my suggestions, to enhance 
If I may, with suasive and loving discourse 
Your esteem of th' veritable way to advance 



101 

Towards perfection in your life ; to earn force, 
Beauty and every ornament in due place 
On th' mirror of your life through its whole course ; 

And win the triumph in its arduous race. 
And first, there must a Principle be born 
In you, to ne'er for any motive embrace 

Th' equivocal ; uncertain how it bring the morn 
Doth after come, or day, or week, or year ; 
Or leave you perchance of virtue, honor, shorn. 

There is a deal displays it to appear 
Attractive, profitable ; sure to win 
And nothing holding that justly we've to fear ; 

And j^et hath in 't at end but grief and chagrin. 
Disappointment, loss, interminable regret, 
Bitterness, nay, shame to th' very grave we lay in ; 

And past, too, your opportunity to get 
The riches, qualities and veritable worth. 
That never to perish ; and are not to let 



102 

In yonder world, but to win only by th' full birth ; 
Same signified by Baptism's holy wet, 
And to endue 't, this pilgrimage on Earth 

Ordered ; and admitting of th' righteous strength 
Will uphold us in the Truth, the perfect way 
Of our life ; full practicable at length 

With diligent endeavor for the year and day. 
Such thoughts, incumbent 't is you entertain, 
Dear boys ; that your blest destiny you may 

At th' end of th' earthly Pilgrimage attain. 
God doth love, is Love, and did create 
Th' innumerable Worlds, and Earth amain, 

All full magnificent to contemplate. 

And moon along also, in the serene blue sky ; 
That therein he his children might instate 

Worthy Participants with Him in the High 
Glory and blissful wending Immortality, 
Here now attend us, and there, and far and nigh ; 



103 

And by JQst sequence, not by a fast fatality. 
He worthy creates us. and worthily demean 
We must, at the beginning, and while vitality 
Endure ; and that's forever : in this scene, 
And there, where taken swiftly to from hence, 
By death we call 't, but is better life, I ween ; 
And perfect man, yea, perfect angel thence : 
God's children here and there, and angels there : 
Angels same Being, but in higher tense. 
Hold that perfection then, and as you wayfare ; 
Cultivate it, in ornament and grace, 
To evermore dwell in th' immortal welfare. 
Oh ! let's all meet there in th' appointed place, 
And dwell in love together, in those days 
Of Immortality ; to oft retrace 
With deep interest scenes where won Immortal bays. 
It is not difficult for us to believe 
There's other better life, if perfect ways 



104 

We keep ; or straying from them, we retrieve 
Us ; sorely afflicting, and weeping for our sins. 
But having repented, we may n't yet so deceive 
Us, that sin with impunity begins 

Again ; repent, and go and sin no more. 
The charge is, and the terms too, for who wins 
The grace, and restoration where before ; 
Or else 't were useless entirely to forgive ; 
Nor is 't ay granted ; comes time when 't passes o'er ; 
And we decide *t, as on we go and live 
In same way, was repented of; going back 
To 't ; repentance lasts for a while, but th' sieve 
Wears out : repentance sifts, and ay old hack 
Will come to end ; our ways we must amend ; 
This is the Scripture, and we've to get the knack 
To live in Righteousness ; and never descend - 
From it ; to learn and keep always in the Truth. 
Angels the ladder did descend and ascend, 



105 

And we may climb to tip of th' azimuth ; 
But have to climb, and trying time and again : 
And thus may attain ; with th' intervening ruth 

The fall brings with it ; and trying with might and 
At last, we finally get to th' very tip [main 

Of glory and strength, and then at length maintain : 

Brought to 't with lash of repentance, and whip 
Of discipline ; full sore, but all for the best, 
Though grievously trying, and keenly doth clip 

The curl of vanity off, and dash its crest. 
The cause of grief for us, is that's to take 
Away, and lies in and must go out o' the breast. 

The heart must be purged till 't \vill forsake 
The degenerate way it comes so to affect ; 
All " vanity of vanities," as the Preacher spake. 

Dear boys, I do not dwell, and more dissect 

All dead bones and carcases do strew 

The way we have come over ; but reflect 
5* 



106 

A little ; and say, if mankind only knew, 
Or only would remember, th' issues grow 
Out of their action, as the Scriptures shew 

Them, and would weigh all well as on they go 
In life ; they would be wiser, stronger, purer, 
Happier ; and grief and wretchedness be slow 

To show themselves ; all good things of life be surer 
In possession and continuance ; and peace 
In your bosoms would make your joys securer 

Than they are : your hope would not be torn piece- 
Meal, and ye distracted with inquietude 
All the day long ; and midnight still increase 

It, as wakened by slamming shutter, or rude 
Hustle of the firemen's rush, and ponderous roll 
Of th' clamorous engine, in the solitude . 

And darkness ; or ring of watchman on his stroll 
To bring t' his aid for murderer or thief, 
Thriving by crime and all unlawful dole : 



107 

To rack the pure bosom with sad thoughts and grief. 
Oh ! my children, be ye wary now, 
Nor let the passing things engross you in chief. 

Rise ye above them, and quietude endow 

In your bosoms, by taking fast hold on the sure 
And steadfast ; anchor your hope, and steer your 
prow 

In Righteousness, day by day ; so be secure. 
Have faith in God, and seek ye to do his will ; 
And love him with all your heart ; in virtue endure : 

Then hope 's for you, when in grave ye lie down still. 



MY DAUGHTER. 



MY DAUGHTER 

CADETTE. 

CANTO I. 

Oh ! daughter dear, my youngest, and wotting much 
Of th' housekeeping cares, still tender in years ; 
What left then is at length for you, and such 

Fall straight in your ken, and wotted by e'er one hears 
If chance 't survive till thou 'st done growing tall, 
Mother o'ertopping, and grandmother too, she fears : 

Demure a little, rather grave looking, and withal 
And o'er all and crowning the face, a brow 
Bravely promises thou 'It honor, or name, or call 

For good behavior, sensible discourse ; now 
Somewhat scarce in society ; and the fund 
Rather wasting, or th' business doing wont allow 



112 

Its dispending, e'en for th' interest ; its fecund 

Topics from staple of sheer elegant trifles, 

And with shadowy consistency, not the least rubicund 
Glowing or suffusing ; for th' understood courtesy stifles 

Th' uncouth utterance of nature for any share 

In th' entertainment ; and so all th' interest, rifles. 
Oh ! we admire and defer to the lady fair 

Sensible, modest, natural, in converse discreet ! 

My daughter, needs not I tell thee to beware 
Of e'er violence to nature ; or that, I should treat, 

To th' proper and sensible demeanor relate ; 

But rather how cultivation with nature meet, 
And carry 't on to the fullest and highest estate. 

Oh ! here task is, and high impulse as well ; 

Nature my theme, love of my daughter t' inflate 
The chant or strain, with the occasional swell 

And glowing burst, they must and will constrain. 

The daughter, and wife and mother 'chance, to dwell 



113 

On them, our common kind, and common strain 
Is now, on th' girl IVe seen born into life, 
Born, and yet in th' very Heaven fore'er may reign. 

Whence inspiration then, if here not will 't the strife 
Of natural and tender emotions for just cause 
In all the theme, the daughter, sister, wife 

May be, if show there e'er, to just " because" 
Not open, and having the fine art to prevail ; 
Then thence sure, new sweet ties by nature's laws. 

Hail to them, I say, yea joyous, triumphant hail ! 
To th' new Immortal Being born to glory. 
If 't will. But now I must show thee how in mail 

Thou'lt wrap thyself, to keep, when I am hoary ; 
To keep thee in virtue, stainless honor, and white 
As the driven snow ; pure as in sacred story 

The chaste mother of Him did from the light 
Of Heaven and from it's glory descend 
To teach us Purity, and daily to fight 



114 

Against the wickedness the erring do blend 
In their wayfare here ; or th' trespass mere 
And every shadow 't doth to th' mirror lend. 

Ah 1 Life not ay transparently white, and clear 
From every shadow reflecting, and taint, 
When into th' looking glass of life we peer. 

This glass look into, dear, and if thou'rt saint 
'T will certainly much of th' lovely and fair reflect ; 
But if, 'chance, se'st spots, do not then paint 

Them o'er ; find out th' unseemly cause, and reject 
It ; indignant for thyself, cast it out quite 
With choicest discipline, and restore th' effect • 

Is due ; is to nature due, and to the light 

From Heaven came, the gross darkness to scatter 
That covered the People, and rub the conscience 
bright. 

Oh ! Heaven shed not that, nor taught 't to flatter 
The man's degenerate heart, but, clear it out 
From all th' old rubbish, and put in other matter 



115 

Of high import, and put th' evil all to rout, 

Was rioting unchecked almost, and brought the 

steams 
Made th' image of our life unseeml}^ flout 

Th' original, from him did come who holds th' extremes 
Of purity, and of our fate ; and th' issues all 
Of th' human lot and destiny ; as he deems 

Just, and Heaven's security perforce doth call. 
I would thou shouldst examine thee, and all seems 
To mar, or soil, or in the least enthrall 

The pure Image, to purge ; all patches and seams 
On th' fair robe of chaste virtue to efface. 
And shine thou in steady light and flashing lemes. 

Virtue and Truth work in us, and they brace 
To resolute action : 't is not just to believe 
And rest there, it gives no glow to the face ; 

Truth done, and conscious of it, will relieve 

On th' staple capacity, and send straight bright glow, 
Like th' just risen sun, or setting soon at eve. 



116 

It is mysterious, as the blush will show 

How ay face tells what's working in the soul, 

For showing, or not showing, either makes known 
The working is there, in part or in whole. 

'Tis th' evidence we all do live within ; 

There's outer man ; but inner, who plays the roll. 
Dear daughter, I would that you should now begin 

To feel we live here only for a time. 

It 's plain, the silent dead put in the coffin ; 
The old, the youth, the strong man in his prime, 

Th' infant first cries, all borne to and hushed in the 
grave ; 

Convince the most hardy they'll follow betime ; 
Ay certain, though future ; nothing can save 

From that journey, and thither we've to go ; 

And 'tis wisdom to think on 't, that go we then brave. 
So young, would ye, I think 'bout that last wo ! 

My daughter I fancy now hear her to say ; 

And grant she may count on a measure, so, so ; 



117 
'Tis of nature we all live the year and day, 

But 'tis the business of life to prepare us to die : 
And the distinction 'tween these 'twere well to 
display. 

That we do live 'spite death, few will deny ; 

To believe it in earnest, is a little more rare ; 

To uphold us in th' faith, or to th' utmost try 
(And then we succeed) demands so much care 

We do most put it off to convenient season ; 

Of this though I pray you, my child, beware ; 
And that death may come, and doth, early, the reason 

'Tis mere common prudence to keep us secure. 

And any thing short is nought else but treason, 
Yet motives beside are there, to make us sure ; 

Of safety the way, is of happiness likewise ; 

And way of life here, doth there also endure ; 
But less pleasant circumstance there doth arise 

For that business of life, I said must be done ; 

Nay, for some, there not e'en th' opportunity lies. 



118 

And therefore 'tis meet, with our frolic and fun 
T' interweave a due care and solicitude, 
To cultivate virtue, and error and evil shun. 

Besides, a force and strength is there in habitude 
Of virtue or vice ; and reaching 'yond the grave : 
Then cultivate virtue and in it fortitude. 

Virtue is Truth, that hath virtue to save ; 
Is the Truth impersonated, done and shown, 
That is witness we're strong in it, and brave : 

And virtue so manifest, we have to own. 
But reluctantly though, is exceeding rare. 
Oh ! melancholily th' avowal flown. 

And pause I must, my spirit to cheer and spare. 



CANTO 11. 

Grave themes Fve sought, my child, to introduce 

And win you to think upon in current verse : 

But now let's childishness dismiss ; th' abstruse 
A little more, enter on gravely, and converse 

In sober strain on topics of high import. 

These lessons may 'chance reach you from the 
hearse 
Hath borne me to the grave, and thence report 

Their solemn drift and counsel for my girl. 

Oh ! I entreat you, ay keep lofty Port 
In your demeanor, and stayed, amid this whirl 

Of business, fashion, society and common place. 

To live, is serious work ; here doth unfurl 



« 



120 

The Being and life and character, embrace 

The whole future, life, death, eternity. 

The Path we lay out here, we do retrace 
And prosecute or stay in : Time's paternity 

Of th' Future for us, a progress that never stops ; 

In womb of th' Present lies the maternity 
Of character and destiny, and all the props 

Of virtue and glory must be set secure 

Against the thrusts they encounter, and the tops 
Kept steadily pointing toward the zenith future, 

High up and difficult to climb in world 

Where 's so much to distract, so little pure 
And excellent ; Society so whirled 

In business, dissipation, crime and vice ; 

Vanity so feathered, and the lip of Pride curled ; 
Business so hurried, that not e'en advice 
Is taken from th' old, experienced and wise. 
I charge you, child, in all you do be nice. 



1121 

And closely distinguish 'tween th' foolisli and otherwi^ 
And very much when wilt assent a wife, 
The wife, to become ^ that ne'er there then arise 

Cause to regret this launch for the whole life : 
Th' husband should be virtuous, and set 
Firmly in that way, that will preclude e'er strife 

'Tween you two ; that I'm sure of, nor need fret 
About or with you ; thou'lt love and do thy duty, 
And husband to do as much, take care to get ; 

Thy children should have goodness, and beauty, 
And manners and education to abet 
These attributes, and take them to maturity. 

Thy household be well ordered too, and set ; 
Not overdoing, but all in good taste and style ; 
And then I'd wish it never be to let. 

But oh ! my child, ne'er flatter nor beguile 

Thyself to deem thou'rt housed from all mischance ; 

Not alvi^ay may thy life securely while 
6 



122 

Away, and daily thy content enhance. 

Tis not so ordered, for then boasting pride 
Inure would surely, and lead thee to prance^ 

And high fashion and many vanities ride i 
Nay, thou must prove too, vrhat vicissitude ; 
Not though to keep thee from so foolish stride. 

But reconcile thse to th' stranger doth intrude 
In precincts of all, and straightway snatch away. 
Not valuables we hold, but us, with rude 

Or positive diligence : that, the last day 
Of a life happy, charitable, pure, I trust j 
And pious towards Heaven, as thou dost pray 

And bend thy thoughts and heart where "moth and rust 
D(5 not corrupt, nor thieves break through and steal ;'' 
Even to Heaven, th' eternal future where all must 

Appear at last, nor there may thought conceal^ 
Nor act, nor wish indulged, but all appear 
Just as it is or was ; all we must reveal j 



123 

And oh ! then nought 'tween us and Heaven interfere ! 
Oh ! thou dear child, demure, tV unwotten one, 
And didst now, just e^en, engage thee to steer 

Thy course to Reichart's daily, where be won 

By th' diligent like thee, such silver and gold [fun 
And exchange will buy what's o' worth, when roguish 

With kit and th' chicken broods and rooster old 
(Was found to be missing early th' other morn 
And th' fowls all complaining o' th' pip or a cold) 

And also of th' reading stories are just shorn 
(To tell the fact) of all that's v/orth the while ; 
And myself would soon ha'em to kindlings torn 
For th' dull anthracite we've so to beguile 
And c oax ; and cowardly too, when bitting frost 
Comes down from the North Pole, or within a mile 

Or degree or so : about where they're looking at such 
cost, 
For th' missing and bold John Franklin ; made a Sir; 
For th' adventurous exploits, and now is lost 



124 

In th' drear cold ice ; and all th' benevolent astir 
And vehemently urged by th* lone v^^ife that weeps, 
Nor will she be consoled. He w^ent not to fur- 

Ther personal views, or win the covering keeps 
The degenerate warm in milder latitude, 
But th' spirit to obey that never sleeps 

Now in discoveries for the multitude ; 

For th' people, waxing in peaceable pursuits ; 
And roams through every whit of longitude ; 

Bat th' latitude continually confutes 

Th' indomitable endeavor and enterprize, 
Courage and hardihood. The North Pole never 
dilutes 

Its ice and snow ; and catches by surprise 
In the long and drear cold wintry night : 
Or be 't when Summers Sun toward zenith rise 

And suddenly loosening th' icy locks so bright 

Surprise the frail Bark, then whelmed in the tide ; 
Or crushing to such splinters that we light 



125 

O' the morning, as said, to suasively slow guide 
Sheer lambent flame to its hold on th' anthracite. 
Oh ! there's a world of things, to fast divide 

Th' attention of the looking for every light, 
Dormant in nature till we look and pry, 
And mock at th' obstacles, and feud and fight. 

But herein we do make us wise, bold, spry ; 
Resources indue, and th' ability to work ; 
Power in ourself, and all ready and nigh, 

At instant command ; nor commanded, shirk 
Th' office and duty : but exercise must limber 
And grease them, keep them from twist and quirk ; 

And th' artisans, have always proper timber ; 
Or th' product is useless ; th' materials wasted 
For us ; we must have method, and whim ber- 

Ate ; and th' ease and complacency once tasted 
Of th' orderly and persevering series 
And regulation of our studies, not hasted 



126 

Over in th' eager thirst of somewhat wearies 
Yet sooner, may be ; I'd say 'tis wholly best,- 
And far more profitable, than one congeries 

Put at the once all to be labored, and test 
To disadvantage and disappointment at last ; 
A whole jumble confused, and perfect pest 

In the mind. Knowledge available is cast 
Separately into moulds or troughs ; or lobes 
Some say, but speculate I think too fast. 

They'd found a Geography of the Globes 
Our heads, and a Philosoph}^ then build 
On it, that touches on or feels them or probes, 

A nd character and way and mind through pipe distill'd ! 



CANTO IIL 

Of all the Physiognomists beware, my daughter; 
And so I dismiss them, a humbug of the day 
In theirpretensions, and most attract sheer laughter, 

The countenance will somewhat tell of th' play 
In soul is going on, for th' sensible and discreet ; 
But Science and certainty never come may. 

The soul hath scarcely come yet into th' street 
Of the v/orld, to know and familiarly bow 
In passing ; nay, th' secret thoughts are o'er discreet 

In their communication, and oft allow 
E'en th' explanation in the dark to while^ 
For th' understanding of the listener now. 

And I'd engage you then to shun e'er guile 
In all your conversation^ by habit and wont. 
Nor falsity e'er linger in the blandish smile. 



128- 

Let thy bold thoughts and meaning e'er confront 
The clear sense and understanding of who- 
Ever listen and thou take unshrinkingly the brunt 

Of th' offence if 't be so, whate'er say or d&> 

Thou mayest, e'en though in error it should be ; 
For then thou'lt find the Truth ; that's ay to woo. 

Truth to find out, and wholly to be free, 
Enviable alike, and are one and the same^ 
Oh ! here, in purpose and act, let us agree. 

Truth js Beauty, is Power, and is the flame 
That lambent defends unsullied the soul, 
And guards unwearied! y the honest fame ; 

It is loveliness impersonate and whole. 
There's Beauty by the Principles of Art,. 
Some elements in nature we unroll 

By closest study, and working of the heart 
When disenthralled of the degenerate chains ;■ 
Freely working: our nature then in every part,. 



129 
This Beauty, Art displays then till it strains 

The souls of the degenerate to amaze, 

For th' excellence defying all their brains 
To reason it ; or e'en th' Imagination, through haze 

Of degeneracy so darkens o'er mankind ; 

A Purity of th' life illumes this glaze 
Of th' eyes so stupified by every kind 

Of indulgence, but ay th' soul yet staggers. 

And gazes, and wonders, as 'twere natural blind ; 
But this is mistake ; and one ought t' send daggers 

Into their hearts, did wickedly make the charge ; 

And conscience, waken in innumerable laggers 
To vindicate our nature, and Truth at large, 

From the corruption in man men do assert. 

Ne'er this believe, dear, nor e'er moor thy barge 
Of safety or pleasure near any specific insert 

Men do, in place of th' veritable acting 

Of th' Truth ; but nigh as canst to its own desert 
6* 



130 

And high honor ; and forever counteracting 
Th' weakness inseparable from th' ignorance 
Of new life in us, that carefully then redacting 

Into Wisdom's straight Paths, we do enhance 
Us to th' pure angelic life of perfect innocence. 
And then bliss, and forever go on and advance 

In perfect goodness and happiness thence- 

Forth. But else, e'en though we mercifully taken 
To th' Immortal Paradise, we'd not have sense, 

Nor wisdom, nor strength, that evil guile be shaken 
Ever off; and Heaven itself we'd only spoil. 
Therefore, th' instruction so cast must be forsaken ; 

Or neglected ; and yet thou anoint with th' holy oil 
Distilled and shed abundantly by Christ 
All th' vermin of evil and contagion to foil. 

He taught, and showed, how foil whene'er enticed 
To indulgence in th' least, or strongly, blent 
With soil of that alloy ; and yet so priced 



131 

And vaunted by the Tempter, to win our assent, 
And service, and worship ; as our Master and Lord, 
Christ is our Saviour from the Tempter, and consent 

Doth simply ask we follow him ; that we accord 
With him in th' spirit governs us, that we obey 
The same, or the like ; that's ay in perfect concord 

With every enjoyment, or indulgence, may allay 
The natural desire, or innocent suggestion 
O'ertakes us in th' ordinary course and way 

Of our life. He'd have us happy, by a true digestion 
Of all the fruit doth offer and tempt us to take ; 
The consequence first digest, then ne'er congestion 

O'ertake ; and we use quackeries to ease the ache. 
This lesson, dear, is fraught with wisdom's lore ; 
Our whole experience's comments make 

It plain for us, as did for many of yore ; 
We must be ever discreet, and search, and learn 
The character and consequence, before 



132 

We do or take in e'er indulgence we do yearn 
For, and guard securely our innocence and peace, 
And then too, surely th' immortal destiny earn. 

Dear Daughter, thus I've conducted you, piece- 
Meal and accurately, through many details 
Of th' imminent dangers, and struggles, never cease 

In th' earthly pilgrimage ; for he who fails 
To win th' high Prize of th' Future, hath to blame 
Only himself; or 'chance, the Parent who sails 

Along life's stream with unconsidered aim ; 
Or failing, the consequence ay follows remote, 
To probe as he ought ; pursuing some flame 

Of glory, dazzles and blinds him ; or smote 
With th' poor ambition to surpass all others 
In this world's goods, and o'erweeningly devote 
. To ambitious scheme, or project, that smothers 

The prudent heed for th' future ; far outweighing, 
In wise counsel, this temporary that so pothers 



133 

The world of mankind, and leaves them inveighing 

At last, the folly governed them and then betrayed. 

They drive on swiftly, like the runners sleighing 
O'er th' new fallen snow, might melt before they'd 
sleighed ; 

Nor heed, their lives may melt yet 'fore the snow ; 

And 'fore they've th' end and consequences weighed. 
In all, I would my daughter thou shouldst know 

Whate'er might warn, and keep thee to the true 

And living way, as wending here below. 
Then thou'rt safe thyself ; and wilt too imbue 

In thine, if hast them, same Wisdom and Truth to 
guide 

Them also to triumph ; as^ Heaven grant may you. 
Treasure these thoughts, my dear ; let them divide 

Th' attention needfully bestowed on cares 

Of the household, and over the world wide. 



134 

May peace and joy of th' home guard thee from snares 
Are set for th' multitude of the fair life leased, 
Seeking each Triumphs in respective shares ; 

Or th' larger part, unwise then, saying the least. 
Truth, happiness and hope be steadily your's 
All the days of your life ; or sorrow, be yeast 

If coming, the heaviness or languor cures. 
Pure joy illume thy countenance betimes. 
And steady cheerfulness ay ; that assures 

Content in th' family, and gradually climbs 

O'er all the snarls : death, gentle oh ! may 't come, 

And take to Heaven my daughter ; this, sublimes 

My view and hope ; of all 's to cherish, or say, the 
sum. 



THE GUEST. 



Be pleased to deem these lines for cipher ^ or notes ,- 
And th"* execution to tell what H all denotes. 



THE GUEST. 

CANTO I. 

I thoTiglit to have done and finished, the old 
And new, and World entire ; the coming on. 
The flourishing in prime, and them '11 be told 

Of soon, had been, but suddenly left for yon 
Far spreading range of deep unsearchable blue, 
Doth of the Infinite, Conception paint and don 

Ton th' Finite, and tell 'tis certainly true ; 

And we a part on 't ; 't thrills in bosom, thrills : 
But there 's one of th' family, one o' our few, 

Not blood relation as we sa}^ but still 's 
Of th' family, and from far, far away ; 
E'en Sweden's land o' the North ; and of plains 
and hills. 



138 

That 'mongst them much loves o' th' excellent to stay. 

She came to entrance us, and t' lovingly enhance 

The mind o' their own youth in wisdom's highway : 
(What singular and remarkable circumstance 

And turning t' else th' insatiable greed than t' vex); 

Oh ! noble heart, doth so to th' good entrance ! 
She 's a wonder in the world, in all respects ; 

Where now 's the might of thrones and armies spent ! 

Who boots for 'em th' day ; and th' whole not neg- 
lects 
To wonder at, in th' triumph of goodness ; and the 
event, 

Frees nature out o' her banishment and stress ; 

And 's carrolling in th' streets, a common wonder- 
ment. 
Th' Era is set, will get us out o' the wilderness 

Where th' woman driven, as tells th' apocalypse : 

Lift up your heads, loth dwellers in the darkness ! 



139 

Nature and truth no more for you all in eclipse ; 
Out of the north cometh light ; th' Aurora Borealis, 
Through yon blue canopy 'at frolics and skips 

In th' clear Heaven, did n't it for spite and malice. 
Oh ! no, Heaven's signs, oft as they may, are kind 
And temper t' utmost th' needful bitter chalice. 

•I say, friends, how is 't ye love the gentle hind, 

And th' notes are such pure streaming of the soul ; 
'Tis cause ye are n't such very born fools and blind, 

They tell of, who don do th' Priestly robe and stole. 

Fair lady, ye're welcome, missionary ye've come 

To th' dead benighted ; just seeing through a hole 

Th' light of Heaven ; forbade, withheld from 'ts 
wholesome 
Beams and health ; and saved by death who're dead. 

But how'll I speak to you, fair lady, to become 
So beautiful theme ; though 't th' melancholy fed 
Just th' instant, even as clouds obscure the sun. 
1 havn't yet found o' that could heaviness shed 



140 

On th' pure joy 'at starts and speeds 't to the run 
All over me and through, and stays upon my ear, 
(Except as first mentioned, and with 't have now 
done): 

And yet must tell 't thee, I hav n't been to hear! 
Calmness and quiet need for me, or I'm spoiled ; 
And desperate though th' hope of them, I fear. 

Where thou art, save thou ha'e all gently foiled 
Them, with th' wish in amiable tones expressed, 
Thou wouldst be in thyself a little recoiled : 

Yet 's naught o' disrespect for them in my breast. 
Fair lady, times pregnant and wonderful are these ; 
Th' whole Earth 's now shaking off th' inglorious 
rest, 

Waking from th' supine and soft languishing ease. 
The Providence, wonderful ay in all its means. 
And oh ! lovingly patient with th' foul disease 



141 

Of evil in th' world it made so pure ; and leans 
With gentlest tenderness and pity down 
From th' highest Heavenly throne, to scan the 
scenes 

As shifting and traversing in lea or village or town 
Where still th' degenerate man so desecrates 
Its ministry so condescending, and mocks its frown. 

I count Heaven sent you t' us, t' our kinder fates 
Help on in th' struggle 'gainst th' o'er stubborn will, 
Here too and now as erst, so degenerates 

Day after day, nor '11 consent to stay even still 
What 't is ; and casts abroad, and 's ravening for 

it's prey 
O'er town and village, prairie, plain, or hill ; 

Or mountain's side e'en, th' last rampart to stay 
It's foul contagion ; and all o' them o'erspreads. 
Thou, gentle, amiable woman, thou'st to play 



142 

Th' unwitting part David did erst with ^s threads 
Upon the boasting blasphemous Philistine, 
Slinging upon him th' rippling brook's stone leads. 

Ah ! Israel too had fallen^ fallen from th' pristine 
Faith, virtue and truth ; like us, degenerate, 
And all the world ; and never will persist in 

Th' lofty paths doth Heaven and Nature dictate. 
Thy song, dear lady, doth not strike on th' ear 
And linger there alone ; the Soul instate 

"Within, transfixed doth wanderingly hear, 
And strange delight and melting softness wax 
O'er it's mood, subdue it's hardness, express the tear. 

The soul relents, there came the strain that lacks ; 
A sound of sympathy, th' heart touching appeal ; 
A stirring in the depths, that conscience racks ; 

A wakening from strange dream ; the pull they feel 
Opens the fountains and dispels the maze 
That wrapped, subduing th' erst harder than steel. 



143 

Thy power of Nature is, and on it plays ; 
One Nature *s there for all, and 'tis the man, 
And to 't appealing, Nature then portrays 

Th' effect 5 a power, through every bosom ran 
Waking one sympathy, and makes them all in one ; 
A unity, in Heaven, not on Earth, began : 

A unity, in Heaven ay shone and done. 
Didst thou then borrow 't in Heaven, or this confer 
'T on thee, that Earth to Heaven again be won ! 

Now, Heaven hath ministers, but erst did defer 
Itself to appear and from its heights descend, 
And minister in person, and show how much we err. 

I do not flatter where so many bend ; 
Thou'rt the unwitting minister to serve 
High Heaven, and dost, too, diligently attend 

On its behests, to rescue, arouse, preserve 

It's children ; and let's the high mission recognise ; 
Thy song that thrills in every heart, let nerve 



144 

Us to strength and enthusiasm, and open our eyes 
To th' lofty sentiment deep in us glows 
And scarce restrains perforce from bursting outcries. 
Not in the sunny Italy, but there where snows 
The genial covering shed in wintry clime, 
From th' rude northern blasts, to all that grows 
In Nature's fruitful bosom ; and in due time 

Then swiftly expands, blossoms, and ripens to the 

corn 
Or fruit, or flower, as each with th' seasons chime ; 
All gladness and merriment then, th' erst so forlorn ; 
There thou didst spring, and dost thence thy sway 

bring 
To constrain all hearts ; and left mourning Italy 
shorn 
Of her laurels and th' homage did win and wring 
Perforce ; but now distracted ; th' poor staggering 

rests 
Of a dire superstition in 'ts last ghastly cling, 



145 

And desperate clutch, on th' hopes in hnman breasts ; 
Vain hopes, to corruption fed. A sable pall 
Hangs down from th' tip of her greatness, and 
manifests 
Dead bones and corruptioUj of superstition thrall ; 
Fast held and locked, if stay, chance, may th' stretch- 
ing strides 
O' the striving for freedom; tugging at the ball ; 
While Freedom to th' degenerate clutch 'way hides? 



CANTO II. 

In th' tugs of th' degenerate by the few free shaking, 
Or Heaven from own bosom sends th' regenerate fire, 
To bring such shock as th' very Earth quaking 

To beige the corruption -^ chary Freedom will retire 
To th* mountain fastnesses ; e^en 'mongst the rude 
Unyoked, undegenerate ; and there respire 

In th* natural health, while luxury intrude 

On her precincts, with th- grimaces o' all slaves 
To corruption, and would graft them on her habitude. 

Ah ! heaves Revolution now it's mountain waves 
O'er th' ancient Europe's fields ; not now th' Kings 

strive 
Toge'er in their sport or rivalry ; each saves 



147 

Himself if he can, or all together connive 

To foil the People awakening to their Rights ; 
And then to diplomatic intricacies dive. 
But ah ! th' common mind hath waxed and trimmed 
it's lights, 
(In sequence surely of High Heaven's decree); 
And all the capricious servitude, despites. 
They're swaying ay, too, in some way, or degree, 
As e'en nutation's points '11 steadily traverse. 
Th' People everywhere sigh now, sigh and long to 
be free ! 
And what's this ? what's to be free ? 'tis found by th' 
adverse. 
Oh ! thou, thou, olden Europe, and strown deep 
With the seams and layers and breaks reverse 
Of a dire experience, thou hast to wake from th' sleep 
Of death erst superstition did beguile 
Thee too, and o'er thy beauties stole as th' serpent 
'11 creep 



148 

0n 'ts fascinated prey, then snatches ere th' smile 
Did cajole, would wane till th' gasping breath expire ; 
And lapses to th' peaceful calm then for a while 

Of th' lulling death ; then seize 't corruption dire, 
And homeopathetically cure to its dust : 
Next though to rise, shake off th' lethargy, with fire 

To cleanse thy skirts, and file off th' chains with rust 
Have held fast thy energies, and mocked thy strain 
And lusorily delude thee still to th' still mocked 
trust. 

Thou'st to be free ! but struggling might and main 
'Gainst th' superstition ; and th' evil too, fondles in 

thy heart. 
Thou'rt striving 'thwart th' sovereign Rule, and 
th' chain 

'T imposes arbitrarily ; but thou shouldst start 
Thee too on th' work in thyself; to make thee clean, 
Purge out thy wickedness, and th' leavening art 



149 

Of th' subtle Reason, that makes the true demean 
To th' plausible, th' seeming fair and rotten inside ; 
The false, that so argued plausibly to wean 

From th' solid staple of wisdom throned in Pride 
Immortal, and streams into th' every crevice, 
If we'll have 't, and int' each crack in th' heart '11 glide, 

In th' man's degenerate worship and service 
Of th' Ruler and Creator of the world, 
And clings and waxes e'en 'neath th' Priestly robe 
and surplice ! 

It 's not the Truth is taught or shown, but hurled 
Damnation's bolts at whoever neglect the kirk 
Or that have singly th' flag o' Rebellion unfurled 

Against th' faiths are substituted for the work 
Of th' soul, to win th' high Heavenly estate : 
Virtue and Truth by them neglected, and driven to 
lurk 



150 
And hide from observation ; and forms instate 

Then, and beliefs, and each o* their quackeries vile, 

In Throne 's to all o* us of right ; crowning our Fate 
With blessedness. Fair lady, not th' blandish smile 

And fawning speech and knee, with you behoove ; 

Thou dost bid thy votaries to loftier style, 
Into th' nature to probe, and on the self to improve : 

And showest them thou, in 't all their happiness 
dwells ; 

As 't to all, dost t' utter satisfaction prove. 
Own child of nature thou art, and thy song tells 

The nature, and on its natural bosom falls, 

Defenceless to th' enthusiasm so fast wells 
From th' very depths ; and scarce restrains 'ts loud calls 

Th' bursting sentiment 'at wakes there, and glows, 
and cries. 

An I have touched on themes so in prison walls 



151 

Timely cherished ; and th' day, and where, th' stalking 
spies 

'Force win from th' heaving bosom strange smooth 
face 

More than when in the inner sanctuar}" hies ; 
It is, there's coming earthquake on the common place, 

Overspreads all th' world in the high moral spheres : 

Advances the Providence, it fills its Roll apace. 
We're not instated here, that th' coursing years 

Forever wait on us, and th' high judgment wait 

Too fore'er ; nor th' soul nor body forever adheres 
In th' drear lone grave, howe'er we instate 

'T in pomp ; or 'twere cast on th' battle field to rot ; 

Or was th' victim for crime ; or come with th' 
stealthy gait, 
Of th' surgeon minion, with the cart, or cot, 

And ; to scout corruption, or quicken it piecemeal 

On th^ fragments he cuts up an he better wot 



152 

All th' mysteries of flesh's life, and better f heal 
Th' sicknesses by th' weak indulgences fast fed, 
Or help 't to totter on a way, or stagger or reel, 

Or th' gouty to thrive in 'em shaking on 's bed ; 
Robs the drear grave : whate'er to th' body chance 
For then, the soul its Maker inbreathed 's not dead : 

It lives, and lives 'ts own life ; '11 stay or advance 
In same it loved or tolerated here 
Though had been warned to th'pure, and to enhance 

It's onward life, and enter th' High Heaven's sphere ; 
And to 't, too, man bound then in sheer gratitude 
For th' boon bestowed ^ and in 't to strenuously 
adhere. 

But ah 1 what th' issue seems there for th' multitude 
And pays this school and 'ts drill for th' Paradise, 
What wisdom's taught. Heaven's pure beatitude 

To win, in sequel of such discipline precise, 

And plan marked out, and th' bountiful aid bestowed 
Time and again, the Truth repeated twice 



153 

By Heaven's ministry, and e'en th' details it showed 

For th' whole conversation, in act or word 

And feeling and thought, till e'en the face glowed 
With th' triumphing spirit that had not erred. 

What issue, oh ! th' fearful, lamentable case ! 

Men wouldn't heed, wouldn't learn, and then 

transferred [Race, 

Th' whole work from themselves, from their whole 

Upon th' Prophet, King, and Saviour from Heaven 
came [grace. 

To teach and show us all, and tell for th' Past there's 
Men now make Heaven to do our Part ; or th' name, 

Or creed, to save from th' consequence of sins ; 

Make 't, our nature's all corrupt, and not the same 
God gave and breathed into us first himself, and 
begins 

And stays forever the same in every man ; 

While we go kicking 'gainst th' pricks, bruising our 

shins, 

6* 



154 

Fain building to save us, th' wordy shift or Plan. 

Fair lady, th' high witness thou'st shown; and *t wins 

To *t million o' th' fellow-hearts; th' nature that began 
In our first father, whate'er by him with 't done, 

Kindles, fires yet, and melts and glows and weeps, 

And t' all 's pure, natural and tender, is won 
With o'erwhelming bursts ; and th' enthusiasm creeps 

Through e'en th' erst stagnant veins with th' noisome 
lees 

Of th' degeneracy man works and lives and sleeps 
In, after his pleasure, business, idleness, or ease ; 

And th' work undone, life's work, and such issues 
fraught 

Nor man or angel may measure ; up to his knees 
In th' wallowing degeneracy th' fair face of evil 
brought. 



CANTO III. 

No more, fair lady, e'er business will entertain, 

Howe'er to th' Immortal Themes so justly belong ; 

But fraught so, they weary, we do not maintain. 
How then dost think o' us here, and '11 't take along 

With thee, when wendest hence ? for we must part ; 

Thy Sweden waits for thee ; and oh ! the throng 
Of happy ones, sweet children o' th' guileless heart, 

'LI bless thee for thy labors ; and, too, th' land 

Ls cur's; glowing so with spirits, and ready to start 
On e'er enterprise ; and doth th' elements command, 

Make serve 't, and bend to th' strange forced servi- 
tude. 

But thy Sweden, doth 't then flourish, by hand, 
And mind, in th' field, and factory, and solitude ? 

We're fain here t' use it's iron for the strong bolt 

Or th' violent strain, or shock encountered rude, 



156 

Or t' build defence from th' heedlessness of dolt, 
Or th' issue of inevitable wear and tear 
Of laboring machinery ; or where molt [scare 

May th' steam, like feathers, its riveted sheets, and 
And wound e'en lady passengers that fast bound 
On th' pleasure ride or voyage, free from care 

Of th' household, shop, or e'en monotonous round 
Of th' pleasures at home, and th' thousand sights 
Infest th' e'er metropolis, and th' pure taste wound. 

Linens have come too, I think ; such^ wherewith fights 
It's way the bounden ship for Foreign Port, 
Or coasts the long stretch of our tall beacon Lights. 

Yet am I scarce versed to tell th' Price cuBrent report ; 
But think we bolt somewhat of our fine flour 
Through sieves of th' Swedish manufacture and 
export. 

But hence, since heard and felt the Swedish Power, 
Invading us too, and also was besought ; [flower. 
I'll look more for th' fruit, in chine hath oped such 



157 

We have a various clime ; and soils, that wrought 
E'en tolerably well, yield th* husbandman's reward, 
Foj home consumption, and wherewith be bought 

Products the Indies west and east award 

To their cheaper labor and more degraded mind. 
Long rivers from our North descend toward 

Th' Atlantic's coast, and into its bosom wind : 
Broad lakes and long, our Northern Frontier line 
Nigh mineral riches of nearly every kind : 

Westward we gaze on the Pacific, with gold mine 
Under foot, that makes half foolish, or mad : 
Of th' area of Governmental Freedom, th' outline 

Thou hast now, save on the East, and there we're glad, 
Kinsmen and children of forefathers same, 
To clasp and greet ; like us, of th' good and bad ; 

That I've ay found in travelling, closely to frame 
Together, and little distinguished at first view : 
I'd tell you the Truth, and keep my honest name. 



158 

Behold the land then ; and if 'chance e'er one sue, 
E'en from your own country, hither passing to dwell, 
He'll have a farm his own, as on 't he grew, 

And when his aged Father slept, it fell 

To him by th' old man's wish ; or legal right, 
That's scarce worth mentioning in th' heart's swell 

For the departing, and soon t' be borne from sight 
Of th' loving weeping children disconsolate, 
With th' flowing run down from the eyes erst bright; 

Or e'en the fading, long wearying early and late. 
I have a cousin, dear lady, or he did wed 
The sister of my brother's wife, (translate 

Just now that brother from lingering death bed 
And t' Heaven I trust and do believe) indigene 
In your country ; and I love him ; instead 

Of me far away, he soothed that brother. I've seen 
And know him, he is worthy and well bred ; 
And 's link for me, your country and mine between ; 



159 

I honor Sweden, for th' living, and the dead ; 

And mean to know more of her if I live. 

Your Literature wants one trait I dread, 
And has a merit I can easily forgive : 

Romances and Novels in 't do not abound ; 

Of excellent works there are a few ; the sieve 
For ignorance, vanit}^ foolishness ; mere sound 

And rattle as they figure where I dwell. 

Your wisdom, valor and prudence, Fve found 
Hold way with any ; nay, rather do compel 

A deference ; your fabrics are good, not spun 

So sheer, nor singed so close, the slightest swell 
In our warm season, proves our own o'erdone ; 

And same o' old England 's, on thither ocean's marge. 

I trust there's virtue amongst you, th' evil to shun ; 
Nor need on th' practical to further enlarge. 

Fair lady, I count to you your country is dear, 

And taken it ye have in tender charge. 



160 

The youth, to lead to Truth and conscience clear, 
Is more Heroic than to tread the battle field 
In triumph, and consecrates in every sphere 

Of our endeavors ; armed with Truth they're steeled 
'Gainst shafts the Tempter into th' bosom sends ; 
And 'mongst the flowers and fruits, beneath its shield, 

May roam and take unharmed ; th' attacks it fends 
Else conquer us ; and prompts to th' loftiest walk 
In th' social round ; and nerves to th' Path ascends 

To th' Pinnacle of virtue, with scarcely a balk. 
I cannot praise you^ 'twere a worthless praise ; 
And counted 'twere worthless ; the mere common 

Music, since hither came Garcia to raise [talk. 

Its Temple in our rude hearts, and fascinate 
Th' unconscious of its Power, or th' ear, or gaze. 

To linger still the charm in Regal State 

In my remembrance, I love ; atid count for dear 
The cherished reminiscence ; or were ingrate. 



161 

Ah ! th' hapless lady, and victim ; no kin to cheer 
The yielding soul, in hostelry and land estrange, 
To Gaunt Death's bid ; in aspects dread, and drear 

Appurtenance attending — for that change ; 

Silenced that voice, and reft that charm, erst held 
To take us loftily at beck wherever they'd range ; 

Only the husband wept there ; and rebelled ; 

Pity oh ! Heaven, and forgive ; yea, join them twain 
In thy time, here severed by Death that felled 

Th* visible life's tabernacle, midst grief and pain. 
Then, thou didst come ; brief cycle intervened 
In nature's own pure melodious domain ; 

'Tis th' general voice I speak ; none is there weaned 
From praising thee ; for none th' expectance foiled ; 
And th' savings and spare money clean are gleaned 

To barter for th' treasures ne'er can be despoiled ; 
Nor use, to exhaust ; enhancing as we use. 
Unheard I thank thee too ; pleasingly I've toiled 



162 

Contemplating thee ; nor thought I to amuse 
The hour, or day, or week, and then forget 
Thee all ; sublime th' e'er thought may woo the muse, 

Deigning for me, to smile on th' mood did beget, 
Or th' nature, or pure joys Pve gleaned ; and th' stops 
Too, arresting o'er reckless haste ©r worrying fret 

For Truth's behoof ; in words not, but such hops 
Suit not for who may dwell in e'en High Heaven's 

sphere ; 
That needs with heedfulness to build the props 
'LI stay us there. Let's meet there ; or th' older, I'll 
say here. 



163 



ADDENDA. 

rm not quite sure, upon reflection, the Swede's 
A native born ; but do not doubt, is by descent. 
Nor is 't quite clear to me, who th' deepest weeds 

Would wear, the niother, was actually absent ; 
I wrote my impressions ; as I've pictured oft 
The scene, and made it mournfully present ; 

Th' eyelids compressing, and th' eyes waxing soft. 
And about the farm ; he'd have to work and tug ; 
Poor Indian has left, or died, or been shoved ofF't ; 

And th' ground by the People 'selves is mostly dug ; 
But don't object, and many or mosto' 'em 'ould scout 
T' have slave for them, 'em has so dyed the drug 

In Africa grew ; or e'en for others, some would shout ; 
And right the wrong, in right not, but in wrong : 
But all work here ; some chores we go about. 



164 

I trust all is pl'ain now as you go along, 

Or turning back ; as when thou'st to say adieu, 
Thou here too. I wot thou'st to meet that throng, 

In thy thought, for me defiles in grand review. 



ERRATA. 

Page 5, 9th line from top, omit word " due." 

" 16, 8th " «* orb" should read «* arb." 

" 26, 1st " "lute" " "late.", 

** 75,6th <* "oft" " " oft." 

" " 14th " should have period at end. 

" 78, 14th '* instead of' man to be taken," should be 

" man 's taken to be." 

« 79, 22th '« " 's" should be «' is." 

" 90, last line, there should be no stop here. 

" 96, 10th line, " with welfare" should be " with our welfare.' 

'* 99, period at end of 9th line should not be. 

" 117, 10th line should have period at end. 

" 123,14th " "bitting" should be "biting." 

♦« 125,6th " " feud" should be "fend." 
r " 127, 3d " should have period at end. 

*« 138, 3d " " highway" should be "high way." 

« " 13th " " will" should be "we'll." 



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